LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



^ 



THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST; 

OK, 

WILLIAM THOMAS BIDDLE, 

ACCEPTED MISSIONARY TO BUK.MAH, 
IX 

HIS EFFORTS TO DO GOOD AT HOME, 

AXD 

IN HIS CONSECRATION TO THE WORK 

OP 

MISSIONS ABROAD. 



y 



BY ISAAC W. BRINCKERHOFF. 




PUBLISHED BV^M tc 
AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY, 

150 NASSAU-STRKET, NEW YORK. 
•J- CDRNHJLL, BOSTON. 





& s. sS>s-F- 






The Librae 
ov . Congress 

WASHINGTON 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1S58, by Isaac 
W. BRrxcKERHOFF. in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the 
Southern District of the State of New York. 

Right of publishing transferred to the American Tract Society. 



CONTENTS. 



Preface, - 5 

CHAPTER I. 
HIS CONVERSION. 
Early religious impressions— Knowledge of the Scriptures — 
First thought of preaching* — Lines, "There is a God 1 ' — 
Learns a trade — Letters home — Interest in foreign mis- 
sions, - 9 

CHAPTER II. 

AT WORK. 
Residence in Brooklyn and New York — Tract distribu- 
tion — Personal conversation — Sabbath-school — Church — 
Tests of Christian character, 32 

CHAPTER III. 

THE ENCOURAGEMENT. 
Licensed to preach — Enters Madison University, 45 

CHAPTER IV. 

THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 

Six years residence at Hamilton, N. Y. — His aim the glory 

of God — Dr. Judson's visit — Revival in Baptist church — 

Visit of missionaries — {i Spirit of Moravian Missions " — 

Sabbath-school at Cole Hill — Time, how occupied,--- 56 



4 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER V. 

THE SINGLE PURPOSE — CONTINUED. 
Interest in the spiritual welfare of children — Self-denying 
faithfulness — Tutor in the University — Reasons for keep- 
ing a journal, -- - 102 

CHAPTER VI. 

THE COLPORTEUR. 
Labors for the American Tract Society in 1847 and 1849 — 
Incidents, 131 

CHAPTER VII. 

FAITH AND OBEDIENCE. 
Conscientiousness — Early choice of a companion — Disap- 
pointment — God's hand discerned,- ---- 146 

CHAPTER VIII. 

THE MISSION WORK. 
Glances at particular fields of missionary labor — Lines, "To 
my missionary sister " — Appointment as missionary — 
His "future home*' — Advantages of an "early decision 
of duty to the heathen '* — " Encouragements to spread 
the gospel,"' 157 

CHAPTER IX. 

THE DEPARTURE. 

Ordination — Marriage — Graduation — Preparation for the 
voyage — Sickness — Last hours — Death— Funeral servi- 
ces, 189 

Conclusion, - - - - 20o 



PREFACE. 



The following just remarks were written by 
Mr. Biddle as introductory to a "Biographical 
Sketch of Felix Neff," prepared by him as a 
literary exercise : 

"The injunction of the apostle Paul, 'Be ye 
followers of me, even as I also am of Christ/ 
coming as it does from the pen cf inspiration, 
is an all-sufficient reason for writing and read- 
ing the biography of the good men whom God 
has been pleased to make 'living epistles 7 of 
his truth. 

"And while we admit but one standard of 
holy living, Jesus Christ, we may certainly 
with great advantage look frequently and care- 
fully at those representations of his character 
which, although like the orreries of the astron- 
omer infinitely inferior to their original in per- 
fection, grandeur, and power, are yet by no 
means insignificant aids to the student in ob- 



6 PREFACE. 

taming a just conception of the original. In- 
deed, Christ may be said, in the person of each 
of his faithful disciples, to tabernacle again on 
earth. 

" It is not, however, the lives of otherwise em- 
inent persons, who were Christians, which most 
strongly incite to spirituality. The simple 
memoirs of Samuel Pearce, Harlan Page, and 
the Dairyman's Daughter, are, we think, better 
adapted to promote the state of mind of which 
we speak, than, for instance, those of Dwight 
and Edwards. Not that those individuals were 
less spiritual, or that they had a less instruc- 
tive Christian experience, but their memoirs 
have a double character to represent: they 
were both great and good. We can scarcely 
ever think of their goodness without having 
the thought, as it were, profaned by the intru- 
sion of reflections on their greatness. In the 
case of the humble individuals of which we 
speak there is no such diversion of the feelings. 
They were good, and that is about all we know 
of them ; and we can concentrate all our con- 
templations on this single element of their 
character. It is meditation upon this element 
which strengthens the spiritual man. Besides, 



PREFACE. T 

if we could easily dissociate the goodness and 
the greatness of the individual, their biogra- 
phers would not allow us to do it; their 
business is to portray the whole man, to display 
his talents and attainments as well as his vir- 
tues, and they are necessarily more or less min- 
gled. We do not say that this is improper, 
we are inclined to believe it perfectly right ; 
but we do say, that those biographies rarely 
reach the heart as do those of the simple and 
unrenowned.'" 



" Rouse to the work of high and holy love, 

And thou an angel's happiness shalt know — 
Shalt bless the earth while in the world above ; 

The good begun by thee shall onward flow 
In many a branching stream, and wider grow ; 

The seed, that in these few and fleeting hours, 
Thy hands unsparing and unwearied sow, 

Shall deck thy grave with amaranthine flowers, 
And yield thee fruits divine in heaven's immortal 
bowers." 



MEMOIR 



OF 



WILLIAM THOMAS BIDDLE. 



CHAPTER I. 

HIS CONVERSION. 

11 If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature." 

2 Cor. 5:17. 

The American Baptist Missionary Union has 
adopted as a device emblematic of a mission- 
ary's peculiar and entire consecration to the 
service of Christ, an ox standing with a plough 
on the one side, and on the other an altar upon 
which is the sacrificial fire, with the motto, 
" Ready for either." 

The spirit indicated in this device is that of 
labor and sacrifice in accomplishing the will 
of God irrespective of all personal considera- 



10 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

tions. This is the spirit of Christ, most im- 
pressively exemplified by the Saviour in his 
advent into the world, and by his obedience 
unto death for the salvation of men. He sought 
not his own will, but the will of the Father 
who sent him. 

Of this same spirit the apostles and the first 
preachers of the gospel partook largely, as 
also did the humble disciples who, in primitive 
times, so liberally sacrificed earthly good and 
comfort that they might witness for Christ. 

By the grace of God, and through the agency 
of the Holy Spirit, this spirit of consecration 
has been preserved to the present day. In the 
lives of faithful, devoted men — pastors, mission- 
aries, and private members of the churches — 
is furnished abundant material for the illustra- 
tion of the power of this principle. 

One example we have in the history of a 
young disciple, the sweet savor of whose mem- 
ory is fragrant in the hearts and minds of all 
who knew him. Though cut off in the first 
years of manhood, he lived long enough to 
devote himself wholly to the Lord, and to 
prove the reality of his consecration ; " and by 
it he, being dead, yet speaketh." 



HIS CONVERSION. 11 

In the spring of 1838, when about the age of 
fourteen, during a revival of religion in the 
Baptist church in Stamford, Connecticut, of 
which his father was pastor, William Thomas 
Biddle became a new creature in Christ. In 
the sufferings and death of the blessed Saviour, 
as recorded in the nineteenth chapter of John's 
gospel, he saw the exceeding sinfulness and 
just demerit of sin, the deep depravity of his 
nature, and the great love of God in giving his 
Son to die for sinners. He felt that Christ 
loved him, and had given himself for him ; and 
taught from above, and renewed in heart and 
mind by the effectual working of the Holy 
Spirit, he yielded himself to God. 

A brief narrative of this event, and the im- 
pressions which at various times preceded it, 
we give in his own words. 

" I had been/' he says, " the subject of serious 
impressions from my earliest recollections, and 
know of no time when a faithful conversation 
would not have induced me to promise attention 
to the interests of my soul. I can remember 
the impression made on my mind by preaching, 
sometime before I was eight years of age, and 
particularly by one sermon from a student — I 



12 WILLIAM T. BIDDLL. 

have often wished that I had the means of 
knowing who he was — at Boxmoor, England, 
from the words, ' None saith, Where is God my 
Maker, who giveth songs in the night V The 
ingratitude of the sinner was portrayed, and 
I felt condemned. What resolutions I then 
made I know not, for all passed away. Several 
years after, I was also much impressed under a 
sermon by brother Dunbar of the Macdougal- 
street church, New York, I think from the 
words, l There is no discharge in that war.' 
I purposed at that time to give attention to 
the subject of my soul's salvation ; but I wanted 

to have D D go with me, and I dared 

not say any thing to him, so the fear of man 
kept me back. To ease my conscience, though 
I knew not that any others held that belief, I 
adopted a sort of Universalism much like what 
I find current among men. I reasoned thus : 
If Christ be the Judge, he is too merciful to 
condemn me ; I know I can escape. But I 
dared not trust to this ; I was afraid I might 
be mistaken, and then all would be lost. In 
1838 at Stamford, during a series of meetings 
at which some were anxious, my mind was again 
called to the subject of religion, and I said to 



HIS CONVERSION. 13 

myself, 1 1 admit that I ought to be a Christian ; 
why not become one now? I shall never be 
more inclined to it ; it is self-denying now, but 
when will it be any thing else ? Besides, I may 
not be spared to see another such season/ I 
had but little feeling, and set about the work 
as a matter rather of duty than of deep concern. 
The consequence was, I struggled hard against 
shame, and sometimes well-nigh concluded to 
give it up. I certainly felt less deeply then 
than I had some few weeks before when broth- 
er J. Roberds talked seriously and plainly to 
me on the subject, and drew from me a pledge 
that I would at once attend to the matter. 
This interview I think prepared the way for 
the reception of the truth during the meetings. 
I was soon led to cast myself upon the mercy 
of God. It occurred while listening to the 
hymn, 

'Alas, and did my Saviour bleed!' 

and at the words, 

1 Here, Lord, I give myself away ; 
'T is all that I can do.' 

But peace did not follow for some hours. 
When it did come it was like a river. I was 
happy in the thought that I was in God's 



14 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

hands. I could not sleep, until I had more 
than once knelt at the bed and thanked God 
for the calm content, and asked the same for 
others. One week from that time I was bap- 
tized.' 7 

There is great reason to believe that this 
result was the fruit, with the blessing of God, 
of seed sown in early life by his parents, and 
especially by his mother, who, when William 
was about eight years of age, died in the tri- 
umphs of faith. Through her assiduous atten- 
tion, he was able to read the Testament w 7 hen 
but four years old. Believing that the know- 
ledge of the holy Scriptures is the best know- 
ledge which parents can impart, it was their 
endeavor to store his mind with it, by requir- 
ing him, according to his age, to commit to 
memory first the historical parts of the New 
Testament, and then other books. In this way 
he committed to memory the whole of the book 
of Proverbs when about ten or eleven years 
of age. 

Of this instruction he felt the benefit in after- 
years. Speaking of it in a letter to his father 
some twelve years after his conversion, he said, 
; * If ever I am enabled to do any good in the 



HIS CONVERSION. 15 

world, it will be owing in no small degree to 
your careful labor in teaching me the Bible. 
My knowledge of the text is of great service 
to me. It used to seem hard to be compelled 
to get it by heart, but I know of nothing in 
the way of knowledge which would not be 
parted with more willingly than this know- 
ledge if I must let some go." 

"In the morning sow thy seed, and in the 
evening withhold not thy hand ; for thou 
knowest not whether shall prosper, either this 
or that, or whether they both shall be alike 
good." Eccl. 11:6. 

" Sow away, parents ; sow away, teachers," 
said Mr. William Dawson, in a sermon ; " har- 
vest is nearer every day. Be not weary in 
well-doing ; for in due season ye shall reap, if 
ye faint not." 

Shortly after his profession of faith in Christ, 
the family removed from Stamford to New 
Canaan in the same state, and William became 
connected with the church at Norwalk. Dur- 
ing the two years in which he remained in that 
place, he says, "I wandered far- from God, and 
felt for months that I was no Christian. At 



16 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

the dedication of the meeting-house at Nor- 
walk, or rather just succeeding it, a protracted 
meeting was held, and I was much revived. I 
took an active part in the meeting, and contin- 
ued to do so after the close. In the spring of 
1839, having been at one of the meetings down- 
town in the school-house, and having spoken, I 

went to brother P 's to stay over night in 

company with a student from Hamilton, New 
York, who had been at the meeting. In the 
morning he accompanied me to New Canaan; 
and on the way he asked me if I had ever 
thought of preaching. I was surprised, and 
answered, No. He asked me to think of it. I 
promised to do so. This was the first thought 
I had on the subject." 

The pastor of the church at that time, Rev. 
J. J. Woolsey, says, " My recollections of him 
are those of a devotedly pious young man. 
Residing at some distance from the meeting- 
house, he was not engaged in the Sabbath- 
school connected with the church, but was em- 
ployed as a teacher in a school in his own 
neighborhood. He had an ardent thirst for 
knowledge, and was desirous of becoming 
thoroughly prepared to preach the gospel. He 



HIS CONVERSION. It 

employed his leisure time in study, and thereby 
obtained a tolerable knowledge of the Greek 
language, and made considerable progress in 
other branches. Every interview with him 
increased my conviction that he was daily ad- 
vancing in divine knowledge and grace, and 
indications were not wanting that the great 
Head of the church intended him for eminent 
usefulness. 77 

During his residence in New Canaan, the 
village and vicinity were visited by an unusu- 
ally severe thunder-storm, so violent that con- 
siderable damage was done. At the time Will- 
iam was alone in his father's study, in a build- 
ing detached from the dwelling. He was so 
affected that he buried his face in his hands 
and rested them upon his knees. The impres- 
sion made upon his mind by this event is indi- 
cated in the closing part of the following lines, 
penned some years afterwards. 

"THERE IS A GOD." 

Oh, tell me not, that I live in a world 

Over which no God bears sway ! 
For I 've seen the trace of his mighty hand 

On all sides, by night and by day. 

E:M?e. 2 



IS WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

Yes, I \re marked the myriad host of heaven, 

The glittering stars so bright, 
Like gems in a monarch's diadem, 

At the stilly hour of night. 

And each of these diamonds has seemed to say — 
For they spoke by their twinkling light — 

That they stand in the sky as letters of gold, 
To teach of a God at night. 

I have seen the moon in her glory shine, 

When the flying cloud passed by, 
As her course she held in the spangled vault, 

The queen of the evening sky ; 

And methought that a voice addressed my ear, 

As I paused a while to gaze, 
Which said, Sure a God has marked the path 

She holds through the starry maze. 

I have gazed on the ocean, whose restless waves 
Lash in madness the rock-bound shore, 

When the autumn gale o'er its bosom sweeps, 
And its deep-hidden caverns roar ; 

And I heard a voice in its thundering tone, 

Which spoke to my inmost soul 
Of a Euler above who was mightier far, 

At whose mandate those billows roll. 

When the gathering clouds by the whirlwind driven 

Emitted the lightning's glare, 
And the muttering thunder still louder grew, 

I thought that a God was there. 



HIS CONVERSION. 19 

When it onward came, and the vaulted arch 

By the thunder's bolt was riven, 
And the fearful crash for a moment seemed 

To mingle with earth the heaven ; 

Then a silent awe o'er my spirit came, 

And I bowed my knee in prayer : 
I asked for a shelter beneath his hand, 

For I knew that a God was there. 

In the spring of 1840, he went to Banbury 
for the purpose of learning the carpenter's 
trade. 

A few brief extracts from his letters home, 
written during the latter part of his residence 
in Danbury, will furnish an idea of the difficul- 
ties which he encountered in regard to spiritual 
things, and also his engagedness in the work 
of serving the Lord. It will be borne in mind 
that at this time William was only a babe in 

Christ. 

"Danbury, July 22, 1841. 

"Dear Father — I have not enjoyed prayer 

much of late, partly owing to the situation in 

which I am placed. I have to start off to work 

as soon as I get up, and can only steal a few 

moments for devotion. I take considerable 

pleasure in reading the Bible ; I think it more 

precious to me every year. What an abundant 



20 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

source of wealth it is — wealth which can never 
perish. I cannot attend the evening meetings 
regularly, and if I miss one I seem to lose a 
week." 

" February 3, 1842. 
"I have some good seasons in prayer, but 
have little faith. My time has been much oc- 
cupied with meditation, yet I seem in the dark 
as to every duty. I think I see more of the 
depravity of my heart than formerly ; ' the 
heart ? s a sink of sin. ? I want to be more use- 
ful in the cause of Christ, and feel determined 
to make greater efforts in the Sabbath-school 
cause, and also to deny myself daily. I have 
read Mason on Self-knowledge, and intend to 
read it again ; also the Life of Franke. 

After mentioning several encouraging signs 
that the Lord was about to bless his people, 
and several places in the neighborhood where 
the showers of grace were already abundant, 
he writes : 

'•Danbury, Conn., Feb. 7, 1842. 

"Dear Father — As regards myself I do not 
know what to think, much less what to say. I 
find every day new trials ; I falter, Satan tempts, 
and I fall. Sometimes I feel totally unfit for any 



HIS CONVERSION. 21 

thing. When I attempt to pray, I feel as though 
it were mockery to confess my sins, for it is 
almost certain that I shall yield again. I almost 
conclude that I know nothing of the reality 
of religion experimentally ; before is darkness, 
behind destruction. I know I am lax in duty, 
yet I feel no satisfaction in doing any thing. 
Something is altogether wrong in me. I want 
to grow in grace, yet how can I when my mind 
is so perplexed ? I cannot tell you how I feel. 
Perhaps this condition arises from the fact that 
I almost always look at the dark side. I know 
this is my habit. I recollect making it a prac- 
tice when yery young, always to think the 
worst respecting any thing, in order not to be 
disappointed. I cannot bear the thought of 
continuing so, yet how to avoid it I know not. 
I feel the want, yes, the necessity of religious 
conversation, in order to enjoy religion. This 
I have been without almost entirely for a long- 
time. 

"You suggested that it would be a good 
plan to unite with some one in special prayer 
for a revival. That is my mind exactly. I 
have been reading the life of Harlan Page, in 
which reference is made to the practice, and 



22 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

have been looking around for some one to join 
with me ; but those who would be likely to do 
so, live two or three miles off. I wish we had 
a pastor." 

The tendency to ' look at the dark side/ was 
not a characteristic of him in after-life. His 
piety preeminently commended itself by its 
cheerfulness. He was a happy Christian. 

" April 10, 1842. 

" Dearest Parents — that my mind were 
in a state to appreciate duly the blessings of 
the conversion of sinners, especially that of a 
sister. Accounts of revivals of religion pour 
in from every quarter, yet here we are, shall I 
say lifeless, in the great cause. Every moral 
enterprise is low except the temperance cause. 
In that respect Danbury, Bethel, and adjacent 
towns, are undergoing a thorough reformation. 
I suppose, here alone, from fifty to a hundred 
drunkards have been reclaimed, besides moder- 
ate drinkers." 

Appended to this letter, he wrote the fol- 
lowing to his younger sisters, indicating a 
Christian brother's interest in their spiritual 
welfare. 



HIS CONVERSION. 23 

To H andM . 

" Dear Sisters — The Bible says that Jesus 
Christ told his disciples to suffer little children 
to come unto him, and forbid them not ; for of 
such is the kingdom of heaven. I am glad to 
hear that you hope that God has forgiven your 
sins, and that you love him. Keep close to 
God by praying and reading his word. Pray 
for those who do not love God, that they may 
love him." 

To an older sister he thus writes : 

" D anbury, June 12, 1842. 

" Dear Sister S No one, except those 

who have been thus situated, can tell the un- 
pleasantness of a situation where one is con- 
tinually in the company of the impenitent, 
especially such as many carpenters are. How 
deceitful is the great adversary of souls. He 
holds out some temptation which he says is 
harmless, and after that something a little more 
objectionable. One sin follows another until 
we lose confidence in ourselves. Then we feel 
unable to pray, and consequently less able to 
resist temptation ; yet — O what a precious 
thought — ' we have an Advocate with the Fa- 
ther, Jesus Christ the righteous.' 'Through 



24c WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

him our prayers acceptance gain.' let us 
determine, dear sister, through his assistance, 
which we know is indispensable, to live more 
to God's honor and glory. n 

Concerning his impressions at this time re- 
specting the work of the ministry, and also of 
his personal duty to the perishing heathen, we 
have the following record by his own hand, 
prepared some years later. 

" When I went to Danbury as an apprentice, 
I took an active part in the meetings and en- 
joyed religion. This induced me to think of 
what my future life might be, and what my 
position in the church. Many were members 
who never spoke on the subject of religion and 
took no active part. Should I be one of those ? 
By and by the thought occurred, Perhaps it 
may be my duty to preach ; something must 
have suggested the thought to the brother who 
had, months before, spoke to me on the subject : 
perhaps he had good reason to think I ought to 
be a preacher. Such thoughts as these would 
arise, but they were disposed of very soon by 
the thought that for me to be a minister was 
preposterous. I was not a consistent Christian. 



HIS CONVERSION. 25 

A minister ought to be unusually pious. But 
the idea was continually suggested, Perhaps 
you ought to be one. I was miserable. I 
wanted to do right, but I could not decide that 
I ought to preach, nor could I get the subject 
out of my mind. My trials on the subject 
arose, not from a want of willingness to do it, 
if it were my duty, but from a want of Chris- 
tian consistency, which ever presented itself as 
an obstacle to my engaging in such a work. I 
could not think that the Lord was calling me 
to the work. I thought of the responsibility of 
the minister, and his exposure to all the oppo- 
sition of the enemies of the truth, and dreaded 
it from my soul. Months elapsed while I was 
in this state. 

"During this time, as in fact often before 
my conversion, my mind was turned towards 
the heathen, and I thought that I might be the 
means of doing them some good. Allusions to 
and narratives concerning missions were min- 
gled with my earliest information of the state 
of the world, and of my own observation. And 
I have indistinct recollections of attending 
missionary meetings at St. Albans when I could 
not have been seven years of ao;e. I remem- 



26 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

ber the deep interest taken in the persecution 
of the missionaries in the West India islands 
at that time, and the more because my father 
had a personal friend, Mr. Gardner, among 
them. 

" A dear friend of my father's, and a beloved 
pastor of a neighboring Baptist church, about 
this time went out to Ceylon — the Eev. Eben- 
ezer Daniel of Linton, Bedfordshire — and thus 
my mind was led in that direction occasionally. 
What other information of this character I 
then received I do not know, but I remember, 
after reaching America, reading three volumes 
of the Sunday-school Union, entitled, t Tahiti 
without the Gospel/ ' Tahiti receiving the 
Gospel/ and ' Tahiti with the Gospel. 7 This 
induced me to read regularly the journals of 
the missionaries at that and the neighboring 
islands, as contained in the first three or four 
volumes of the ' Transactions of the London 
Missionary Society/ In the same volume, I 
found the journals of missionaries in Vizagapa- 
tam, etc., which I also read. I next took up 
the file of the Missionary Register, which in 
my father's library embraced twelve to fifteen 
volumes. I read regularly the history of the 



HIS CONVERSION. 21 

New Zealand mission and parts of others, espe- 
cially that in West Africa. The journal of 
Mr. Coan, then in Patagonia, in the Missionary 
Herald about this time, attracted my attention, 
and I begged my father not to give up taking 
the work, as he contemplated, because I wished 
to read it. 

" After my conversion, I read to my father 
the accounts of the revival in the Sandwich 
Islands, in which I was considerably interested. 
Malcolm's Travels served to acquaint me more 
thoroughly with Burmah than previously, though 
the reading of the Baptist Magazine in the 
monthly concerts, ever since 1834, had deeply 
interested me ; so much so, that I can even at 
this time recollect how delighted I used to be 
with the occurrence of that evening in the 
Macdougal-street meeting-house. 

" Until I went to learn my trade in 1840, 1 
kept myself very fully informed of the state of 
missions, especially at Burmah ; but not seeing 
the magazine much for two years during that 
apprenticeship, I got much confused in respect 
to the state of things there, a confusion it took 
several years to rectify. Tyerman and Ben- 
nett's voyages in the capacity of a deputation 



28 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

I also perused about this time, and with great 
interest, because I had, when very young, either 
heard Bennett myself, or had heard my father 
relate some of his speeches. I was unhappy 
constantly when allowing my mind to dwell 
upon this subject, and I spoiled many a piece 
of carpentry by reason of my anxious state of 
mind, which rendered me incapable of keeping 
my thoughts upon my work. 

One occasion of note occurred near the time 
of release from my engagements to my em- 
ployer. I was engaged in putting up a small 
building on Mill Plain, and as the evenings 
were of sufficient length, I wished to spend 
some time in reading. The book cupboard of 
the old farmer with whom I boarded was not 
very well supplied, and I selected a tract ; it 
was one by Dr. Scudcler, ' The Harvest perish- 
ing for want of Laborers.' It was the only 
thing I cared for, so I sat down and read it. 
It seemed designed especially for me. I retired 
to my room, and there had a delightful season 
in prayer. My soul was melted. I felt for the 
woes of the world, and I pleaded for them. I 
vowed that if God would send me to heathen 
lands I would go. That was a night long to 



HIS CONVERSION. 29 

be remembered ; I moistened my pillow with 
my tears. Thenceforward I became anxious 
to leave my place, which had become exceed- 
ingly unpleasant from the fact that my anxiety 
of mind had caused me to spoil much work ; but 
do what I might I could not help it. Never 
before nor since was I so painfully situated. 

" Previously to this I had resolved to learn, 
if possible, the trade of a printer,* and thus go 
out to the East. The date of this resolution I 
do not know, but the place and circumstances 
are before my mind. It was one Lord's day 
evening, at the monthly concert of prayer ; an 
unpleasant evening made the audience small, 
but in the little narrow lecture-room of the old 
Baptist church in Danbury, while the pastor 
was reading of the labors of an English mis- 
sionary in South Africa, of the success that 
attended his labors, and the desire of the peo- 
ple to have the word of life, feeling my obliga- 
tion to serve God to the best of my ability, and 

* Mr. William Ward, missionary printer in India, 
during his voyage out from England wrote in his diary 
the words : " Unto me, who am less than the least of all 
saints, is this grace given, that I should print among 
the heathen the unsearchable riches of Christ." Cox's 
Tlist. of Bapt, Missions. 



39 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

feeling that the missionary field ought to be 
more fully occupied, and seeing no reason why 
I should not go, I said, in the fulness of my 
soul, ' Here am I ; send me. 1 11 go, if God 
will let me. ? 

" But the thought that I might be more use- 
ful as a minister renewed my anxieties, and thus 
I continued to be harassed. My father at length 
perceived that something disturbed me, and 
when on a visit pressed me to tell him what 
troubled me. I evaded the inquiry, for I dared 
not tell any one that I had thought of the minis- 
try. I supposed that every one would see that 
it was not my duty, and I should be blamed for 
entertaining the thought. My surprise then 
was great when, after having drawn it out 
of me, my father said that he had suspected it, 
and so also had my pastor. I was greatly re- 
lieved. The issue was release from my appren- 
ticeship, with a view to my preparation for the 
ministry. 

"My expectations concerning study, how- 
ever, were disappointed by the state of my 
fathers affairs in 1842 and 7 43. I taught 
school in winter, and then went to Brooklyn, 
N. Y., to work at my trade, holding myself in 



HIS CONVERSION. 31 

readiness to engage in preaching whenever the 
church should license me ; for my view had al- 
ways been, that I should not leave my trade until 
the inward call which I had long felt had been 
sanctioned by the outward call through the 
church. My mind all the while was directed 
to the foreign field, and I longed to go." 

" Thou didst well that it was in thy heart." 
For " in the whole compass of human benevo- 
lence, there is nothing so grand, so noble, so 
Christian, so truly godlike, as the work of 
evangelizing the heathen." w. Ome. 



32 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

CHAPTER II. 

AT WORK. 

" Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" Acts 9 : 6. 

While awaiting an open door to the work 
of the ministry, Mr. Biddle was by no means 
inactive. Having entered into the Lord's ser- 
vice, he felt that his duty was to labor faith- 
fully as present opportunity offered, and leave 
to a wise Providence the designation of the 
particular department for future labor. 

Some instances of care for his own and others' 
spiritual interests, are furnished in the details 
of an excursion which he made in the summer 
of 1844 to Piermont, on the Hudson river. He 



" Arriving at the steam-boat, I sat perhaps 
half an hour; when finding that I had three 
quarters of an hour to spare, I started to dis- 
tribute tracts. I passed several vessels before 
I could muster courage to commence the work." 
He narrates several incidents that occurred ; 
among them his visit to a sloop, to which lie 
had been told it would be of no use to go. He 



AT WORK. 33 

went, however, and all on board received the 
tracts. " Returning across another sloop," he 
says, " I found a cooper, who said he belonged 
to the same party as myself. I asked him if 
he did not find the service of Jesus pleasant. 
He said he did ; that he hoped he had been a 
Christian about three years, and during that 
time he had given away hundreds of tracts 
when working on board of vessels." 

Comparing as he passed up the river the 
beauty of nature, as seen in the country, with 
the monotony and dulness of the city, he re- 
marks, " I feel no inclination to look back, not 
the least. I wish I could say so with regard 
to the heavenly journey." 

This interest was further manifested by the 
general distribution of tracts wherever he went, 
and in his labors for the spiritual good of his 
Sabbath-school class ; in fact, of all with whom 
he had intercourse. It was his custom, in cross- 
ing the ferry from Brooklyn to New York, 
-which he often did, to distribute tracts and 
religious handbills on the boat, for the passen- 
gers to read while crossing and carry with 
them on leaving. 

For this work he was peculiarly adapted. 



34 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

A member of the Baptist church says of him- 
self, that while unrenewed in heart, his prac- 
tice was to rebuff all who spoke to him of his 
eternal interests, by proposing questions on 
difficult portions of Scripture. This plan suc- 
ceeded in every case except that of Mr. Biddle. 
Such was his sincerity and courteousness of 
manner, his directness of address and tact in 
presenting a subject, that he could not resist, 
and a lasting impression was made upon his 
mind. 

Another who knew Mr. Biddle intimately, 
says, " He was always ready to talk upon the 
subject of religion. I well remember that in 
passing the spot at the foot of Twelfth-street, 
where he was at work upon the timber for the 
Oliver-street meeting-house, which was then 
being rebuilt, having been destroyed by fire, I 
often stopped to listen to his heavenly discourse, 
and ever felt it good to be there. And now, 
when passing the place, the words which he 
spoke as he recounted the Lord's doings to his 
soul, and talked of the love of Christ, are ever 
present to my mind." 

Writing to his father from Brooklyn, N. Y., 
April 22, 1844, he says, 



AT WORK. 35 

11 1 have just been reading the life of Harlan 
Page for the third time. Next to the Bible I 
value that book, for it is the Bible with prac- 
tical comments — religion lived out. how 
often do I wish that I had moral courage suffi- 
cient to live as he did. He emphatically lived 
not to himself. He never was easy unless ac- 
tively engaged in doing good. He labored to 
bring souls to Christ continually, and he suc- 
ceeded. 

"I think I feel more and more the absolute 
necessity of the accompanying influences of the 
Spirit in all our labors. I try to bring home 
as pointedly as possible to the minds of my 
class, the necessity of repentance and faith ; 
but I cannot bring them to realize that the duty 
must be attended to now. They all admit, 
individually, that they cannot be saved without 
it, and that they have no excuse for rejecting 
the truth. I told them a week ago that on 
the next Sabbath I should expect them to tell 
me why they had not repented. The two who 
were present yesterday said that they had 
no reason to give. l Every mouth shall be 
stopped.'" 

The spirit which urged him to faithfulness 



36 WILLIAM t. BIDDLE. 

and zeal in the Sabbath-school may be gath- 
ered from his injunction, several years later, 
to a young friend who had just become a teach- 
er : " Do not teach" says he, " with any object in 
view short of the conversion of your class" 

On the first Sabbath in June, Mr. Biddle was 
received into the fellowship of the Berean Bap- 
tist church, New York, then under the pastoral 
care of Rev. Aaron Perkins. Respecting this 
eyent, the superintendent of the Sabbath-school 
connected with that church made the following 
entry in the diary of incidents which he had 
regularly kept for years : 

" June 2, 1844. Brother William T. Biddle 
to-day received the right hand of fellowship as 
a member of our church, and the superintend- 
ent was glad also to give him the hand of fel- 
lowship as a teacher in the school." 

How bright an example this for all the youth- 
ful members of our churches. Too many of 
them fail to discern the close relation of the 
Sabbath-school to the church, and consequently 
neglect to labor for Christ as they should in 
that interesting department. 

Here Mr. Biddle labored. The subsequent 
pastor of that church, Rev. Dr. Dowling, thus 



AT WORK. 37 

testifies: "At the date of my removal from 
Providence to New York, in 1844, I found 
brother Biddle a member of the church under 
my care, and a faithful, beloved, and devoted 
Sabbath-school teacher." 

Though ardent, he was not impulsive. He 
always acted from a clear conviction of duty. 
Rigidly conscientious, his reasons for what he 
might do were based upon the will and require- 
ments of God as learned by a prayerful study 
of the Scriptures. His views of Sabbath-schools, 
and the responsibility of all who thus engage 
in directing the young in the way of life, were 
of the most elevated character. To him it was 
no mean employment ; it was his delight. In 
writing to his father, December 11, 1844, he 
says, 

"If we should enjoy a refreshing, I doubt 
not it will begin in the Sabbath-school. One 
boy in my class is, I think, seriously inclined. 
This is encouraging, although in a class of elev- 
en, of whom ten are unconverted, it is a small 
proportion. it needs much grace to be a 
faithful teacher. The more I examine it the 
plainer it appears. I suppose one reason why 
I feel it more than usual is, I have been writing 



38 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

a series of articles for the ' Advocate ' on the 
subject. What a strong resemblance it bears 
to the work of the gospel ministry." 

His views on this point are fully expressed 
in the following extract from one of the arti- 
cles referred to. Respecting " the responsibili- 
ty of our station" as a motive for "increased 
activity in the discharge of our duties," he 
says, 

" We, as Sabbath-school teachers, are placed 
by God in a situation intimately resembling 
that of the pastor, or watchman of Zion. His 
is a wide and extended field, ours a small plot. 
He is called and qualified by the Holy Spirit 
to preach the gospel of reconciliation, and take 
an oversight of the flock of God; we are, as 
we hope, incited by the selfsame Spirit to teach 
in a more humble way the same truths to a 
smaller company. After all, our object is the 
same as that of the ministry — the conversion of 
souls. 

" Shall we not then," he continues, " be as 
accountable to God for the discharge of our 
duties in our field, as the minister of Christ is 
in his ? Certainly we shall. No more will be 
required of him, in proportion to his talents, 



AT WORK. 39 

than of us. With this view, what efforts should 
we not make to accomplish our object. Can 
we in any way increase the interest of our 
scholars in the lessons, or attract their atten- 
tion to the truths of revelation ? Then God 
requires it of us ; and the responsibility resting 
upon us, with the account we shall be called to 
render, make it a duty we owe to ourselves. 
1 We watch for souls, as they that must give 
account/ Would a minister discharge his 
duty were he generally, or even occasionally, 
to come before the people unprepared? No. 
Then can we neglect careful preparation for 
our duties, and yet be guiltless? Certainly 
not. ' Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do 
it with thy might. 7 " 

With this view of the subject we do not 
wonder that he adds in his letter, " When I 
reflect that I have had a class under my charge 
for six months, and none of them have been 
converted, it makes me inquire, ' What have I 
done, or neglected to do, which has prevented 
the descent of the Holy Spirit upon them V " 

As he felt, so he practised. His constant aim 
in all his instructions to his class was, that each 
member of it might be saved. Nor did his 



40 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

anxiety, Hs prayers, or his labors for their 
spiritual good, cease with his or their connec- 
tion with the class. With some, if not with 
all, he maintained occasional correspondence, 
and thus endeavored to renew and enforce the 
instructions of previous years. Such of these 
letters as have come under our inspection, are 
characterized by forcible appeals to the con- 
science and earnest persuasions to seek an in- 
terest in Christ. 

His heart was at the same time equally 
engaged in promoting directly the spiritual 
growth and increase of the church of which he 
was a member. He writes, 

" New York, Nov. 4, 1844. 

" Dear Father and Mother — My health is 
good, and I have as many opportunities of 
attending meeting as I can improve. The Sab- 
bath is fully occupied ; in fact, 7 t is the most 
wearisome day of the week as regards the 
body. I never knew how to appreciate its 
blessings so well as since I have been obliged 
to spend the week among those who are wholly 
destitute of religion. It is delightful to meet 
on the Lord's day those who have a better aim 
in living than merely the gratification of self. 



AT WORK. 41 

I sometimes think that we take more pleasure 
in anticipating the joys of heaven than in the 
discharge of our duties on earth, which ought 
not so to be. It is a fact which never struck 
my mind until lately, that the apostle did not 
wish those to whom he wrote much happiness 
in the Christian course, but that, as he express- 
es himself in the epistle to the Hebrews, they 
' might be perfect in every good work.' " 
He writes again, 

" February 1, 1845. 

" Dear Parents — You recollect that in my 

letter to S , I wrote that there were some 

tokens of reviving. Since then the Holy Spirit 
has awakened a few among us, and many of the 
brethren and sisters are praying as though they 
really wished God to bless. A week last 
Thursday there was a prayer-meeting at broth- 
er V ? s, and those who were there found 

that Jesus fulfilled his promise, and was there 
also. On Tuesday evening, at the close of the 
lecture, an invitation being given, six or seven 
rose for prayer. Since that time two, if not 
more, have given their hearts to Christ. Last 
Thursday evening the meeting was at sister 
C ? s. The two large rooms were filled, 



42 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

and hearts seemed united. Thus you see that 
there is still room for hope, yes, encourage- 
ment." 

Calling on a Saturday evening in April a;t 
the house of a member of the church, the con- 
versation turned upon the subject of religion, 
and he inquired of the two daughters the state 
of their feelings on the subject. One of them 
expressed her mind very freely, but the other an- 
swered only with a flood of tears. He engaged 
in prayer, and returned to his own home. In 
the course of a few days he handed to them a 
letter, in which, after intimating a suspicion that 
they both had experienced seasons of doubt and 
fear regarding their spiritual state, he offers 
such encouragement and consolation as his 
own experience enabled him -to do. He also 
suggests the following searching tests whereby 
they might try themselves and know whether 
they were really new creatures in Christ. He 
inquires, 

" Does meditation upon the merciful charac- 
ter of Christ in connection with what he has 
done afford you the sweetest contemplation of 
any thing in the world ? Was it always so ? 
Did you always have love for Christians ? I 



AT WORK. 43 

mean not merely respect, but an affection for 
them because they exhibit in some degree the 
holiness of Christ? And do you now love 
those most who are the most devoted, and love 
them too because they are so ? Does the omis- 
sion of duty or the commission of sin cause you 
to mourn the want of conformity to Christ's 
image ; and can you cover up the fault and 
forget it, and feel as though all were right? 
Was it always so ? Did you formerly in such 
a case apply some flattering unction to your 
conscience, such as, 'I had no bad motive in 
doing so?' Can you do so now? Do you 
wish, or have you any desire thus to dispose of 
the case ? 

"You always loved to read the Bible, but 
what parts did you prefer ? Were they those 
which contained most of the doctrines of sal- 
vation exclusively through Christ ? How is it 
now ? Could you formerly read the one hun- 
dred and thirty-ninth Psalm with the same feel- 
ings as now ? Could you always with pleas- 
ure reflect that the days of man upon earth are 
as a shadow, or a vapor, and yourself like the 
grass and the morning flower ? Although you 
sometimes perhaps mourn over the little fervor 



44 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

you manifest in closet devotion, yet do you not 
view that duty in a different light than former- 
ly? Finally, are all your hopes and wishes 
respecting the future centred upon the will of 
your heavenly Father ? Are you willing to do 
or suffer all his righteous will, if he only grant 
you strengthening grace ?" 

Our young friend was indeed a laborer for 
Christ — a workman that needed not to be 
ashamed. And he had his reward : " He that 
winneth souls is wise." 



THE ENCOURAGEMENT. 45 



CHAPTER III. 

THE ENCOURAGEMENT. 

" Thou hast heen faithful over a few things ; I will make 
thee ruler over many things." Matt. 25 : 23. 

Soon after the entrance of Dr. Dowling upon 
the pastorate of the Berean church, " while 
engaged as a carpenter in making a door from 
my study to my pulpit/ 7 says Dr. Dowling, 
" Mr. Biddle first made known his mind to me 
in relation to the work of a minister and mis- 
sionary of Christ." His progress in this mat- 
ter we gather from his correspondence at that 
time. Writing to his father from Brooklyn, 
October 10, 1844, he says, 

" My principal object in writing to you is to 
inquire your opinion respecting my speaking 
before the church with a view to receiving 
from them a license. 

" When I consider the responsibilities devolv- 
ing upon a minister of Christ, I almost con- 
clude that it is not my duty to engage in the 
work. Yet I long to be the means of doing 
good in that field. I feel that I am not wor- 
thy of the office of a preacher of righteousness. 



46 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

There is such an immense field to cultivate 
within, that my life, were it long, needs to be 
taken up in cultivating it. how much grace 
do I need every day. Remember me as a very 
needy one at the throne of divine grace." 

In March, 1845, he writes, 

"Dear Father — I am aware that you feel 
somewhat disappointed by my stay here, but I 
think you will acknowledge that I have good 
reasons for staying, when you learn all the facts. 

" For rather more than two weeks we have 
been holding meetings each evening, and I felt 
that it would be wrong to leave them for the 
sake of recreation. As yet there is not that 
descent of the Holy Spirit which we have rea- 
son to expect when a church is united in earnest 
supplication for it. Some six or eight have 
requested prayer, although I am not aware that 
any have given themselves to Christ. There 
is evidently a languor among most of the mem- 
bers of the church, which shows that the soul 
is not in health, though some are, I believe, 
' zealously affected 7 and active. that I were 
as devoted as I should be to the cause of our 
Master. I find it as difficult to be really hum- 



THE ENCOURAGEMENT. 41 

ble, as to keep an inflated bladder under water ; 
if pride is pressed down in this place, it rises 
in some other. 

"Another reason I have for staying is, that 
brother Dowling has mentioned to me that 
probably at the next church meeting, Wednes- 
day evening, some action will be taken upon a 
suggestion of his, to invite me to speak before 
the brethren. 77 

Just previous to being licensed to preach the 
gospel, May, 1845, he penned the following 
lines expressive of his feelings, perhaps, in view 
of the work before him, to which he felt that 
he was called of God. They indicate earnest 
zeal and a deep sense of personal weakness. 

" Gird, gird thee, my soul, and haste on in the race ; 
Why loiter at all in the way ? 
The prize is before thee, thy foes are behind ; 
haste thee, nor dare to delay. 

" Is it sloth that besets thee or trammels thy feet ? 
Loose it from thee, and haste thee away : 
Leave the world and its pleasures so tempting behind ; 
haste thee, nor dare to delay. 

" Speed thou on in thy flight, for old Satan thy foe, 
Still counting on thee as his prey, 
Marches forth like a lion, to slay and devour : 
haste thoe, nor dare to delay. 



43 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

u Keep thine eye upon Jesus ; turn not aside, 
Though trouble and care thee waylay : 
Even trouble and cara shall assist in thy flight ; 
haste thee, nor dare to delay. 

" Thy race will soon* end, thou art near to thy goal, 
A mansion in glory for aye, 
Where spirits redeemed are attuning their lyres ; 
haste thee, nor dare to delay. 

" Victorious, victorious o'er sin, death, and hell, 
Was the Master who calls thee ; obey : 
In his strength thou shalt conquer, for He is thy 
strength ; 
haste thee, nor dare to delay." 

And he hastened; for his "path" was hence- 
forth that " of the just, which shineth more and 
more unto the perfect day." 
To his father he writes, 

"June 12, 1845. 

" Next Lord's day I am to be at Middletown, 
brother Griffith's. I realize more and more 
the importance of the work, and often feel as 
though I could not go forward — as though I 
must be wrong in supposing it my duty, because 
I am so very imperfect a follower of Christ. 
If sustained by the Saviour, I need not fear ; for 
he is strength itself, and will not fail to do all 
that he has promised. But still I find it diffi- 
cult to do all to the glory of God. I feel the 



THE ENCOURAGEMENT. 49 

need of a more extended and deepened sense of 
the value of the soul. If a minister has this, he 
cannot help being in earnest in his labors. 77 

His earnest endeavor to be well furnished 
for his work, that he might be " a workman that 
needetli not to be ashamed, 77 is evinced by the 
following extract from a letter to a friend. 

After asking an interest in the prayers of 

this friend, he says, " You will excuse me, , 

if I request that you will some time give me an 
account of the mercy of God to you. In doing 
so, mention as circumstantially as possible the 
various steps and hinderances through which 
you passed. I consider it to be the duty and 
privilege of a minister of the gospel especially 
to know the various obstacles and causes of 
delay which the awakened meet ; and as I hope 
some day to devote myself to that arduous work, 
I would lay up a stock of information on the 
subject which may be of use. The cases of 
those who are religiously educated are, I think, 
often most difficult. They know what is re- 
quired, but often they delay, and do not find 
peace so soon as others. 77 

His work in the Berean church and Sabbath- 



50 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

school was now drawing to a close. With the 
approbation of the church, he determined to 
pursue a course of study for the gospel minis- 
try, with special reference, if it should prove to 
be the will of God, to going far hence unto the 
heathen. 

In August he went to Hamilton, Madison 
county, N. Y., expecting to enter the " Literary 
and Theological Institute," (afterwards incor- 
porated as " Madison University/ 7 which name 
it now bears,) located in that beautiful village. 

This institution is under the fostering care 
of the Baptist denomination, and by their pray- 
ers and benefactions it has been sustained. 

Of Madison University it was justly said, 
" The missionary spirit from the beginning has 
been the highest element of her life, her most 
precious characteristic, and the crown of her 
glory. From the first class, in respect to which 
the Holy Ghost said, ' Separate me' Wade and 
Kincaid ' for the work whereunto I have called 
them/ to the one now before me, she has laid 
upon the mission altar her first-fruits, her choic- 
est sons. Through her whole history, that altar 
has been crowned with a ceaseless flame, not 
always indeed of equal intensity, but never ex- 



THE ENCOURAGEMENT. 51 

tinguished. It is this fact, above all others, 
which has made this institution so dear to the 
churches, and to Him who is head over all. It 
has been the ever reliable pledge of the divine 
favor."* 

To no more suitable place could a young and 
ardent aspirant for the missionary work go, 
than where the associations were of this char- 
acter. Of these associations Mr. Biddle felt 
the influence. Writing home in the following 
December, he says of the missionary spirit ex- 
isting there, " This is the principal feature in 
the institution which would make me prefer it 
to others." 

By the diligent improvement of his leisure 
time, previously to going to Hamilton, he was 
so far advanced in the studies required for 
admission to the collegiate department as to 
justify himself in the hope, that by studious 
application during the vacation, and after en- 
tering the class, he would be able to make up 
the deficiency. 

Under date of November 5, 1845, he wrote 
to his pastor Dr. Dowling : 

* Dr. Geo. W. Eaton's address to the graduating 
theological class of 1851. 



52 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

" Dear Pastor — Since I wrote you last my 
plans have been quite changed, though not my 
resolutions. I pursued my studies during the 
vacation as steadily as I could, having been 
led to expect that I might, like others before 
me who were not fully prepared, enter the 
Freshman class in two studies, and take private 
lessons in the other ; but in this I was mistaken. 
Although in mathematics in advance of the 
class, and equal in Greek, the faculty thought 
that they could not permit me to enter, since I 
was so much behind in Latin. They expected, 
as I learned, that I would enter the academical 
department ; but I had resolved not to spend a 
whole year upon such studies as I could com- 
pass in much less time ; so I took a room in the 
village, and am at present taking private les- 
sons with some of the students, expecting to 
find myself nearly, if not quite, with the Fresh- 
men in the spring. I consider my time too 
precious to be kept back a year, although the 
committee of the faculty informed me, that they 
had considered the fact of my being so young, 
one reason for declining to grant my request. 
I shall not, however, lose by the decision, as I 
now advance quite as fast as if in the class, and 



THE ENCOURAGEMENT. 53 

my expenses are not more than they would 
have been had I entered. 

" My health has been quite good during my 
residence here, though I fully expected the con- 
trary. I find I have occasion to watch closely, 
lest my studies take my mind away from Christ, 
which I dread more and more every month, for 
I find it so difficult to return ; besides, the dis- 
honor done to him should make me fear it. I 
sometimes think that I see a little of the vast 
importance it is to a minister of Christ to be 
thoroughly imbued with the spirit of his Mas- 
ter ; yet 7 t is but a partial view, I know. I 
long for more of that spirit of humility which 
trusts God when he cannot be traced, and leans 
upon the arm of Christ with the fullest confi- 
dence. I often wish for a clearer view of the 
worth of the soul ; for I think if I had this* I 
should feel more willing to spend and be spent 
in the service of the Master. Though I am 
conscious of great unworthiness, so much so as 
to doubt at times whether God has called me 
to the great work of preaching, when I read of 
the need there is of missionaries, I only wish I 
were ready." 

At an earlier day he wrote, 



54 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

" Hamilton Institute, Oct. 2, 1845. 

"Dear Father — Accept my sincere thanks 
for your kindness in procuring the work of 
which you wrote, and permit me here to ex- 
press my sense of obligation to you, long, long 
felt, though not expressed as it ought to have 
been, for being furnished so well with religious 
books, and above all, for being instructed in the 
Bible. I have ever been aware that it was a 
great blessing ; but I feel it now, and have much 
more than ever since I left home a year and a 
half ago, especially when I see how ignorant 
of the Bible many good men are, in comparison 
with what I had supposed them to be. The 
instruction you have given in this respect will, 
I have no doubt, be of greater value when I 
shall enter upon public life. I find that those 
parts of Scripture which I committed when 
quite young, furnish me with matter and illus- 
trations when explaining other parts. 

" With regard to my studies, you need not 
fear that I shall injure myself, as I have all 
along been cautioned ; and my close applica- 
tion for these few weeks is not intended to last. 
Besides, since I received the tool-chest, I have 
been at work until yesterday in fitting up one 



THE ENCOURAGEMENT. 55 

of the recitation-rooms. I have had the offer 
of more work than I could accomplish in the 
rest of vacation, but I shall do no more of con- 
sequence, as my time is too precious. New 
students are coming in every week, and we 
shall be full enough for comfort." 

Having, as he purposed, taken private les- 
sons in Latin with one of the students, he en- 
tered the Freshman class in the spring. 



56 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 



CHAPTER IV. 

THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 

" Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Con. 
10:31. 
1 ' This one thing I do. " Phil. 3:13. 

In prosecuting the work of preparation for 
the ministry, Mr. Biddle's object was decidedly 
the glory of God. He studied, he taught, he 
labored and prayed, seeking, as did his Lord 
and Master, not his " own will, but the will of 
Him that sent him." So much of his time as 
was needed for proper attention to his studies 
he sacredly devoted to them, but never was he 
at a loss for time in which to do many other 
things becoming his duty as a member of the 
church of Christ. 

For six years his principal employment was 
that of a student. And were we attempting a 
biography, it would be proper to present him 
to the reader in that aspect. His studies were 
regarded by him only as means to an end, and 
hence it will comport better with our design 
to refer to his attainments as a student only in- 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 5? 

cidentally. As a student for the ministry, how- 
ever, increasing his stock of knowledge and 
exercising his gifts, we shall often view him. 

A perusal of his correspondence touching 
this subject will discover that learning was 
never disparaged by him, but esteemed as high- 
ly desirable for the minister and the mission- 
ary. He felt, as he afterwards expressed, that 
"all the learning a missionary could acquire, 
provided it be not a substitute for piety, can be 
well employed. 77 His dependence, however, for 
success in preaching the word, either at home 
or abroad, was solely upon the assistance and 
power of the Holy Spirit. 

Rev. T. Allen, now of the Tavoy mission, 
Burmah, says, • ■ I remember many incidents of 
college life which illustrate the devotedness of 
brother Biddle, but to commit them to paper 
would be like attempting to gather up the 
sparkling dew-drops from the morning grass. 
His whole life was one of devotion to Christ. 

"He was emphatically a friend to the poor 
and destitute, and it was in labors for such 
that his devotedness was more particularly ex- 
emplified. If any were sick or otherwise un- 
able to attend the means of grace, he was sure 



58 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

to find it out and to go to their bedside to 
impart spiritual consolation. 

"I well remember a poor widow, living in 
an obscure place in Hamilton, who had been 
for years unable to attend church. It was my 
custom to visit her once or twice in a week to 
impart the consolations of the gospel. On two 
successive Sabbath evenings brother Biddle 
came in on the same errand of mercy ; and in 
that humble cot we mingled our voices in pray- 
er for blessings upon the widow and fatherless. 
He continued his visits until he left Hamilton. 77 

Portions of his history during the six years 
spent in Hamilton, are reserved for other chap- 
ters. In this and the following chapter, we 
shall present a general view of his efforts to 
do good in the period of time designated. In 
perusing it, the reader will be impressed with 
his abundant labors and the evident purpose 
of his heart to do all to the glory of God. 
His heart was in the work of God, wherever it 
was in progress ; and in his own neighborhood 
he was ever watching for souls : his interest in 
the Sabbath-school was lively and active ; and 
in preaching the word he was " instant in sea- 
son and out of season. 77 His constancy with 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 59 

respect to the mission work will also promi- 
nently appear. 

We now give in the order in which they 
were written, extracts from his correspondence 
with his father and a few intimate friends. 
His interest in the spread of the gospel and 
his views of revivals of religion may be clear- 
ly seen in the following : 

" Hamilton, Nov. 10, 1845. 

"Dear Father — I received your letter on 
the 25th ult., and you may be assured that its 
contents were very refreshing. Truly the Lord 
thinketh not as we think, nor does he work as 
we should. Little did I think New Canaan 
would be a place where, amid such a general 
dearth, divine grace would make the choicest 
of blessings to be enjoyed. It must be exceed- 
ingly cheering to you, to see those who have 
so long been careless, brought under convic- 
tion for sin, and rejoicing in hope. It is quite 
a long while since I have seen such an out- 
pouring of the Spirit, and I hardly know how 
I should feel were I placed suddenly in the 
midst of it. But this much I am assured, that 
it would be to me a pleasant and profitable 
season. I hope most sincerely that the Lord 



60 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

will continue to bless you, and that many more 
are under the convicting influence of the Spirit. 

"I hear of some seasons of refreshing in the 
upper part of Pennsylvania, where some of the 
students spent the vacation. I have for some 
time had the expectation that God would bless 
the land this winter, and I think that there is 
a spirit of inquiry gradually spreading among 
the members of the churches as to the cause of 
the general declension. I say this winter, but 
I do not mean that alone. I hope for some- 
thing more than the spasmodic revivals of the 
years gone by. I hope that Christians have 
learned something from the Bible, and from 
experience of the past. I think that not a few 
who have before thought differently, now see 
plainly that much of the success that attends 
protracted effort, is the fruit of faithful labor 
and toil for Christ in seasons of no special 
meetings, and that they are rather the seasons 
of gathering in the fruit of seed sown, than of 
sowing and reaping immediately. 

" Yesterday, quite unexpectedly, we had the 
pleasure of seeing Dr. Judson. At the close 
of the services in the morning he spoke a few 
words through the pastor, as he is unable to 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 61 

speak much above a whisper himself. One 
thing which made us all ashamed of the little 
we had done in the cause of Christ was, he 
confessed, that he had been unfaithful, and 
hoped that he might be forgiven. If one who 
has done and suffered so much for Christ is 
unfaithful, what are we? what am I? In the 
afternoon he spoke a very few words to the 
students on the hill, which I took down, and 
shall send them to you as soon as I can. They 
all took the parting hand, and I was careful to 
do so too. He then met the members of the 
! Eastern Association 7 * of the institution, and 
they say they had a melting time. He prayed 
that all of them might meet on Burman shores. 
such humility and love for Christ: that is 
almost all he talked about." 

The " very few words to the students " by 
Dr. Judson, preserved by Mr. Biddle as they 
fell from the lips of the veteran missionary, 
were as follows : 

"There are a thousand things which rush 

* An association of the students, "organized in 1831 
as a means of cherishing in a private manner, by mu- 
tual conversation and prayer, the flame of missionary 
zeal already kindled in the hearts of a few." 



62 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

upon my mind to which I would gladly give 
utterance, but I will confine myself to one 
point — one of deep importance, and which 
should rest with great weight upon the minds 
of all students for the ministry. I would say, 
1 Look to Jesus. 7 Looking to Jesus is the great 
means of growing in grace, and becoming like 
the Saviour. 

" Perhaps the reason why we grow so little in 
grace is, that so many things occupy our minds, 
and we spend so little time in looking to Jesus. 
We must turn our faces to Jesus until we get the 
habit of looking to Jesus : look to Jesus, look 
to him on the cross ; behold him writhing in 
agony as he yields up his life for sinful men. 
Look to him on his throne : love sits upon his 
face ; his countenance sheds a radiance through 
all the mansions of the redeemed. If we look 
to Jesus in the hour of temptation, that will 
destroy all fear, and break the power of temp- 
tation. When we are crushed, one look to Je- 
sus will revive the soul. You who are study- 
ing for the ministry are the hope of the church ; 
you are the hope of the heathen. Christ looks 
on you, and longs to take you in his arms and 
bless you. Let all the young men be assured 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 63 

that he loves them so much, that if there were 
but one of them to be saved, he would pour out 
his life's blood for that one. What better can 
we do than look to Jesus ?" 

" Hamilton, Dec. 22, 1845. 

"Dear Parents — I am well, and in good 
spirits. I get along with my studies full as 
well as I anticipated. Besides cutting my 
wood and going up hill half a mile each day 
to recite, and an occasional run to the post-office, 
my study does not miss me. I have gotten so 
much in advance of the class in Greek, that I 
shall lay it aside for about four or five weeks, 
and take a double dose of Latin. With the 
latter I find very little difficulty. In one of 
the recitations, a doctor who is preparing for 
China is my classmate ; in the other I am alone. 
I believe that three at least of the brethren in 
the theological class will leave for the East as 
soon as they close ; one goes with brother 
Dean next year. The Missionary Association 
is quite large, and there is a good deal of mis- 
sionary spirit here. 

" I see more and more the necessity of a good 
education and a thorough course, to prepare me 
for the mission work. I think, yes, I am sure 



64 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

I see more of the necessity of being taught of 
the Spirit than ever before ; for I am confident 
that I can do nothing usefully without it. 

" The school which I attended on the Sab- 
bath out of the village, has been discontinued 
for the cold season, but I have a class in the 
Sabbath-school in the village. 

" I have preached on the last two Lord 7 s-day 
evenings, and expect to do so all winter in one 
of two school-houses about two or three miles 
from the village. The people give good atten- 
tion, and I do not know but the Lord may bless 
the seed, although it is sown in weakness." 

Between his father and himself there was a 
difference of opinion respecting the propriety 
of the course of study usually pursued in col- 
leges. Eeferring to this point, he writes, 

" January 28, 1846. 

"Dear Father — I hope that I shall always 
feel that these studies — the classical — are all 
inferior, far inferior to that of the Bible, espe- 
cially when it is accompanied with the illumi- 
nating influences of the Holy Spirit. I think I 
see more and more distinctly, that a thorough 
knowledge of the Bible is indispensable to the 
servant of Christ. 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 63 

" Your remarks are so closely interwoven 
with the same love which has always marked 
your communications to me, that I feel them the 
more. I know that you express this opinion 
because it is the conviction of your conscience, 
and therefore I feel the more regret that you 
should think me to be doing wrong in spending 
my time here ; but I cannot find it to be my 
duty at present to change my course, nor do I 
regret that I came here. 77 

The Baptist church in Hamilton was now 
blessed with a revival of religion. Mr. Biddle 
thus writes to Dr. Dowling respecting it : 

"February 23, 1846. 

" Dear Pastor — I take my pen just as I have 
returned from the delightful services of the 
place where the presence of the Master has 
been evident. The mercy of our God began a 
good work some distance below us in the val- 
ley, at Coventry, early in the winter; some 
hundreds were happily converted there; and 
now at Norwich, some twenty miles south, the 
Lord is pouring out his Spirit, and a very large 
number are rejoicing in his mercy, while the 
interest does not diminish. A delightful state 
of things in this place encourages us to ask and 



66 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

expect great things. Alas, that we depend so 
much on sight. The pastor, Elder C. P. Shel- 
don, has preached every evening, Saturday ex- 
cepted, for some three weeks, and although he 
is now troubled with a cold, so as to be unable 
to speak every evening, the meetings continue 
to increase in interest. I suppose at least fif- 
teen have a hope of forgiveness through the 
peace-speaking blood of Christ, and many came 
forward for prayer, I should think some forty- 
five. The work began with a few before the 
meetings commenced; the church have been 
coming up and confessing every week, and 
quite a large number of backsliders acknow- 
ledge their neglect of duty and conformity to 
the world. All seems like the gentle breeze 
of the summer morning, or " like the sound of 
a going in the top of the mulberry-trees." 
Every night lately some have come to the 
light, and with few exceptions they are willing 
to declare it publicly. 

" Truly the Lord appears to be answering 
prayer put up during the past two years. But 
though in the midst of the blessings of God, I 
find so much to mourn over in my heart, that I 
have to spend by far the largest portion of my 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 67 

devotional hours in endeavoring to obtain a 
blessing upon myself, instead of asking forgive- 
ness for others ; but notwithstanding, I have 
a right to be thankful that I do feel more for 
the blessed cause of my Master than I did a 
few months since. for a complete devotion 
to Christ, a whole consecration. I find a 
strange reluctance to cast all upon Him, who 
calls for, and has a right to my highest con- 
fidence. I feel almost as did the spouse when 
neglectful of the call of the Beloved ; she suf- 
fered him to depart, and then had much trouble 
to find him again. I do sometimes catch a 
glimpse of his face, and I am sure I feel more 
anxious to see it continually. I have had, for 
a week or two past, a severe conflict with the 
enemy of all righteousness, and I think I real* 
ized somewhat of the meaning of Christian's 
conflict with Apollyon. But grace, all-sufficient 
grace is engaged to all who ask it, and there 
I obtained aid. I feel deeply that I am unwor- 
thy to be appointed a herald of the cross, and 
have felt as though I must be mistaken in sup- 
posing it my duty. I am so ignorant of the Bi- 
ble, although I have learned so much of it, that 
I feel ashamed to speak in public. I wish to 



68 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

become mighty in the Scriptures ; I would that 
I had some one near, whom I might be in- 
structed by, in some things which are hard to 
understand. I want clear views of the main 
doctrines of the Bible ; indeed, there is no end 
to my wants when I sit down and think of 
them." 

In a letter to his father about a month later, 
he gives further particulars of this work of 
grace, and renewed evidence that by this 
shower his own heart was watered. He writes, 
March 18, 1846 : 

" A large number have been converted and 
reclaimed, and many more are anxious. Twen- 
ty-three have been baptized, thirteen on last 
Lord's day. I never saw so delightful a scene. 
They were with one exception young people, 
many of them connected with the academy. 
I cannot describe the meetings nor the prog- 
ress of the work ; one must see it to know it. 
The work has extended to the seminary. One 
of the Seniors was among the first baptized. I 
believe there is but one in the seminary who is 
unconcerned. There nev£r was, it is said, such 
a revival in the seminary. The unconverted 
were anxious before any one looked for it, 7 ' 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. G9 

" Madison University, May 28, 1846. 

11 Dear Father and Mother — Hamilton and 
the neighboring hills seem almost like a para- 
dise. I never saw such a beautiful prospect as 
the village in the valley and the surrounding 
hills furnish from the eminence back of the 
University buildings. 

"Brother Dean and Ko A Bak are here. 
They both addressed the students yesterday 
afternoon. After all that has been said and 
done, and when we all thought there was no 
lack of candidates for China, brother Dean 
says they have been able to find and secure one 
only. He seems to feel very sad that they can- 
not return with four at least, and thus have two 
at each station, namely, Hong Kong, Ningpo, 
Canton, and Bankok. There are several who 
came here with that object in view, and after 
all are unwilling to go when prepared." 

The Sabbath-school out of the village, which 
had been discontinued during the winter and 
spring, was now reopened with encouraging 
prospects of success. 

The vacations were not unfrequently spent by 
Mr. Biddle in supplying churches in the neigh- 
borhood destitute of pastors. This practice, 



10 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

he states, was of some pecuniary aid to liim in 
prosecuting his studies. At this time he had 
been preaching for the church in North Lan- 
sing. Respecting his labors he writes, 

"North Lansing, Oct. 1, 1846 

"Dear Father — I have spent much of ray 
time in visiting, but I feel that these visits have 
not been so beneficial as I could wish, though 
I have endeavored to make them strictly relig- 
ious. The congregation is increasing, and I 
was never better pleased with the attention 
paid than here. Sometimes I have great free- 
dom in speaking, and at other times the re- 
verse. At times I am obliged to speak when 
I feel very little the importance of what I 
preach. Now will not this in the end produce, 
or rather, is it not hypocrisy ? This makes me 
feel doubly the importance of a deep work of 
grace in the heart, and a constant indwelling 
of the Holy Spirit. 77 

The seed sown was not lost. In the spring 
following, evidence was received that his 
strength had not been spent for naught. He 
thus speaks of it, under the date of April 16, 
1847: 

"I received a few davs since a letter from 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 71 

one of the friends at North Lansing who has 
lost a son. He died a very happy death. 
When I was there last fall he was quite un- 
well, and they wrote me that he was failing. 
I addressed a few lines to him, urging him to 
attend to the salvation of his soul. It happened 
that upon the same evening in which my letter 
was received, he manifested considerable con- 
cern for his soul. After a few days he obtain- 
ed a hope, and was constantly warning his com- 
panions who came to see him, and praying for 
them during the four or five remaining weeks. 
After his conversion, he told his mother how 
he had been affected under my preaching dur- 
ing the few weeks I was there. The know- 
ledge of this gives me a little encouragement, 
though I feel humbled by the fact that I neg- 
lected my duty to him by not conversing with 
him personally." 

"Madison University, Oct. 27, 1846. 
" Dear Father — I arrived here on Thursday 
evening and found my room selected for me, so 
the remainder of the week was spent in clean- 
ing and fitting it up. Then the lessons of 
course came on, and the neglect of study for 
two months made it rather difficult. I have 



12 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

not been able to make out, as yet, a plan of 
my studies and other duties, which I intended 
to have made ere this. ' Churn' and I have 
commenced reading the Greek Testament in 
course. We read from it at morning devotion, 
and intend by reading several chapters on the 
Lord's day to complete it by the close of the 
session. 

"I intend, should nothing unseen prevent, to 
go out on Saturday and see whether I can find 
a place to preach in on Lord's-day evening. 

"I have just purchased a number of the 
Tract Society's publications, such as Edwards' 
History of Redemption, Flavel's Touchstone, 
Keeping the Heart, Bogue's Essay, Life of 
Pearce, etc., which I think will be very profit- 
able reading." 

To Rev. Dr. Dowling he writes, Nov. 28, 
1846: 

"We have had a delightful meeting of the 
Eastern Association this evening, and as one 
of the essays which was read was a sketch of 
the Assam mission, it necessarily mentioned 
the lamented Jacob Thomas ; and while the 
mention of his name is enough to thrill every 
heart with an indescribable sensation of solem- 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. fj 

mtjj some remarks made by one of the breth- 
ren who knew him, and who made mention of 
his piety and prayerfulness, seemed to make 
me, at least, insignificant and unworthy of be- 
ing doorkeeper in the house of the Lord, much 
less a teacher of his ways, and still less a mis- 
sionary. I see most distinctly that unless I 
have more of the Spirit of Christ, I must give 
up the idea of going as a missionary, and in- 
deed of preaching Christ. The other essay, 
on the life and missionary character of Samuel 
Pearce, as you may imagine, tended in no slight 
degree to heighten the contrast between my- 
self and the great Pattern. I cannot live so : 
I must have more of the Spirit of Christ, or I 
shall be miserable. It seems to me that if any 
one needs the prayers of God's people, I do." 

"December 19,1846. 
"Dear Father — I hope you will pardon my 
delay in answering yours of the 18th ult., as I 
am now availing myself of the first opportunity 
of replying which my leisure affords. I should, 
however, say that the engagements which have 
detained me are not laid upon me by the rules 
of the institution, but arise chiefly from my 
connection with the iEonian Literary Society, 



U WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

and a desire, perhaps a little too strong, to be 
equal with my classmates. I know that there 
is danger in the indulgence of this feeling, but 
the opportunities I have enjoyed under your 
own careful tuition and instruction have been 
greater than I imagined, and than most others 
have had, and therefore I am anxious to make 
up in other things in which they excel me. 

"I must acknowledge to you my sense of 
gratitude for your frequent admonitions to see 
to the keeping of my heart. I know, I feel that 
I need them, and they tend to stir me up to 
more carefulness." 

"January 12, 1847. 

" Dear Father — I wish I had an opportunity 
of preaching occasionally ; but being unable to 
find time to secure a place during the fall, I 
suppose that it would be impossible to com- 
mence a meeting at this season of the year. I 
have preached but once since I left Lansing, 
and that was for the Methodist church in the 
village. I had, however, one other invitation 
to preach, but declined in favor of one of the 
Junior theologians who had sent the messenger 
to me. 

"I read sometime since most of that little 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 75 

work on holiness which you kindly gave me, 
and found many excellent things in it. I feel 
conscious that the subject has not sufficiently 
interested me, because I have not given to it a 
due share of attention. I have been reading 
Flavel on Keeping the Heart, and rereading 
the Memoir of Samuel Pearce. They are excel- 
lent. I have commenced the life of Schwartz, 
and also Edwards' History of Redemption. I 
have read considerably in Home's Introduction. 
It seems good, after being driven all the week 
with study, to catch a few hours on Saturday 
eve and the Lord's day for the perusal of such 
works. I sincerely wish I had more time to 
spend on such reading." 

"April 16, 1847. 
" We have been favored, during the past two 
weeks, with the visits of brother S. S. Day of 
the Teloogoo mission and brother Jones of the 
Siamese. Their object was to secure, if possi- 
ble, some men for those stations, both of which 
are now closed by the absence of these their only 
missionaries. The Senior theological class 
consists of only seven, and they have left with- 
out securing one of them. There are many in 
the lower classes who would go, if desired. 



75 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

"The picture brother Jones drew of the 
wants and accessibleness of Siam was most in- 
teresting. Like most of the eastern systems, 
their religious and scientific opinions are mat- 
ters of revelation ; and so intimately are they 
connected, that if the one is destroyed the other 
must be also. They have learned enough of 
true science from Europeans to acknowledge 
the fallacy of their own, and the intelligent 
among them are wavering, and this therefore 
would seem to be the time to have the truth 
presented to them. When brother Jones left, 
the printing-press was stopped. They were 
engaged upon the second edition of the New 
Testament. The sheets were laid on the shelf, 
the bindery is closed, the schools broken up, 
the daily worship unattended, and the Sab- 
bath worship suspended. This seems deso- 
late. Every thing favors the prosecution of 
the work, but there are no men to carry it on. 
It is like a factory without hands to work the 
machinery. " 

"June 10,1847. 

" Dear Father — Last Lord's-day evening I 
presented a report before the c Society of In- 
quiry/ on the ' spirit of Moravian missions.' 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 17 

This has cost me a great deal of labor, but I 
have been amply repaid for it in the presenta- 
tion to my mind of so interesting a subject. I 
was not a little surprised in making one calcu- 
lation, to find that, contrasting our efforts for 
the spread of the gospel with theirs, while there 
is in our denomination but about one mission- 
ary to every seven hundred members, among 
the Moravians there is one to each fifty-two. 
If we should send out during the coming year 
as many in proportion as they did in 1840, we 
should send fifteen hundred. If we had as 
many in the field in proportion to our numbers 
as they have, there would be 13,461, instead of 
100. The self-denial of the men, joined with 
an unwavering confidence in God, is also wor- 
thy of notice." 

Having in the essay referred to mentioned 
briefly the leading facts in the history of Mora- 
vian missions, he continues, 

" Their selection of missionaries furnishes a 
criterion of the spirit that actuates them. They 
send none but volunteers so strictly, that if any 
wishes to leave the work, even though he has 
gone on board a vessel and is ready to sail, he 
is considered as no longer of use, and is dis- 



78 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

missed. "While other organizations meet with 
difficulty in procuring men for the work, the 
Moravians always have men in abundance. If 
any of their missionaries are carried off by 
sickness or casualty, men of the same stamp 
are ready to supply their places. 

" To be well versed in the sacred Scriptures, 
and to have an experimental knowledge of the 
truths they contain, is judged indispensably 
necessary. But a good understanding, joined 
to a friendly disposition, and above all, a heart 
filled with the love of God, are considered the 
best and most essential qualifications. Yet 
men of learning are not excluded, and their 
talents have been made useful in various 
ways. 

"Another indication of their spirit is found 
in the prominence they give in their preaching, 
to the plan of redemption by Christ. Upon 
this point they learned an important lesson in 
their earliest efforts for the conversion of the 
heathen. The first missionaries to Greenland 
began their instruction of the natives by talk- 
ing to them of the wisdom and power of God, 
and such other of his attributes as they sup- 
posed would excite in their minds admiration 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 79 

of his character. They continued this practice 
for six years without success. At length, as 
one of them was translating the account of 
Christ's sufferings and death, a Greenlander 
named Kayamack wished to know what he 
was writing. The missionary read it. Kaya- 
mack requested to hear it again, and his con- 
version was the result. Since that time, in 
their teaching, they have dwelt chiefly upon 
the atonement of Christ, and wherever they 
have gone, their principal theme has been 
1 Christ, and him crucified. 7 The same spirit 
pervades their writings. The accounts which 
they give of their efforts and success abound 
with acknowledgments of their indebtedness 
to the mercy of God. 

" Their spirit is still further manifest, from 
the fact that in some of their stations they not 
only support themselves by their labor, but 
even contribute to the aid of others. In the 
Danish West India islands. Surinam, and the 
Cape of Good Hope, there are assistants who 
reside with the missionaries solely for the pur- 
pose of supporting them by their labor. 

"With the Moravians, to give the gospel to 
the heathen has long been considered one of 



80 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

the chief ends of their organization as a church ; 
it is interwoven into all their plans. 

" Nor do they, in our opinifcn, err in regard- 
ing this as the chief object of church organiza- 
tion. Almost all the later instructions of the 
Saviour to his disciples relate to the propaga- 
tion of the gospel abroad. The first efforts of 
the church at Jerusalem were directed to the 
conversion of the strangers convened on the 
day of Pentecost; and when afterwards the 
church seemed to be settling down content with 
laboring at home, the great Head of the church 
employed persecution to send them about their 
appropriate work, and ' they went everywhere 
preaching the word. 7 

" The growth of the missionary spirit among 
them is to be attributed to the estimate which 
they place upon the value of the gospel, by 
which they and their fathers were supported, 
amid the trials to which they had been exposed 
for centuries ; to the constant study of the Bi- 
ble, and their familiarity with it ; to the habit 
of frequent devotion, and the diffusion of mis- 
sionary intelligence in every family. 

" It is no wonder that under such heavenly 
influences, and impelled by such pure motives 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 81 

as love to God and man, they are ever cheer- 
ful and buoyant in spirit, 'rejoicing in hope, 
patient in tribulation, continuing ^instant in 
prayer. 7 

He also writes, June 10, 1847, 

" Two brethren with myself go about seven 
miles to a neighborhood called Cole Hill, to 
teach a Sabbath-school and preach on three 
Lord's days in the month. The place is desti- 
tute. We have the use of a house built for 
Unitarians." 

In writing about a month later respecting 
this school, he says, "The Sabbath-school at 
Cole Hill goes on well, and though after a te- 
dious walk in the sun we find but few who 
attend our preaching, we have about as many 
children as three can conveniently attend to. 
Two of us gave five dollars for a library, and 
wrote to the Sabbath-school of the First Bap- 
tist church in Brooklyn, who supply for half- 
price to Sabbath-schools in the western valley. 
They kindly stretched their bounty over us, 
and so we have a nice library of one hundred 
volumes. 77 

Of Mr. Biddle 7 s plans and labors in connec- 
tion with this effort to do good, one of the 



82 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

brethren who assisted in the enterprise thus 
speaks : 

" He selected brother J- B and my- 
self to aid him in the work. He and brother 

B had spent a whole day in travelling 

around the country in the vicinity of Madison 
University, and Cole Hill was the nearest 
place that offered an encouraging field for mis- 
sionary labor. To carry on a Sabbath-school 
and preach the gospel so far from the institu- 
tion, and walk that distance and back every 
Sabbath, amid occasional showers and the heat 
of summer, would call forth considerable pa- 
tience, labor, and sacrifice. William T. Biddle 
knew all this before he undertook the work, 
and he was the man and the Christian who 
was prepared to meet it. He cared nothing 
for labor and sacrifice, could he but lead the 
young in the path of virtue and to the gate of 
heaven. And his efforts were not confined 
alone to the youth, but in connection with this 
school, and at its close, all classes assembled, 
and to them he preached the gospel. 

" We generally attended meeting on Sabbath 
morning at the institution; but occasionally, 
when it was extremely warm, we started early 



THE S1XGLE PURPOSE. 83 

in the morning, and after arriving there we 
would spend the time in going from house to 
house conversing upon the subject of religion 
and praying in families. In this work our 
good brother Biddle was accustomed to take 
the lead. It seemed to be a pleasure to him to 
labor in the Master's service, and to make sac- 
rifices for the cause of Christ. In our walks 
to and from the school, he always had some- 
thing to converse about that was interesting 
and instructing. 

" I shall never forget his farewell address on 
closing that school. The scholars loved him, 
and in parting with their superintendent and 
teacher, they were bathed in tears. It was a 
deeply affecting season to us all, and especially 
to brother Biddle. It was the earnest desire 
of his heart that he might meet these dear 
scholars in heaven, where parting would be no 
more." 

To a fellow-student who had entered upon 
the active duties of the pastoral office, and was 
tempted to discouragement, he writes, 

" Madison University, Jan. 25, 1848. 

" Dear W Do not be discouraged. 

You seem to have a hard field to plough, but 



84 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

remember that no soil brings better crops, 
when once well turned, than real tough sward : 
and though the plough may creak and crack, 
or even break, the farmer should not be dis- 
couraged. Your situation, bad as it may be, 
is not worse than has been that of many others, 
and yet they have succeeded. Had I time I 
might mention several instances in proof of 
this. You may, however, lean on a still firmer 
support. I should not wonder if you had been 
hobbling along with this blessed crutch under 
your arm : ' Cast thy bread upon the waters, for 
thou shalt find it after many days ; ? perhaps 
with the addition of this also : c He that goeth 
forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall 
doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing 
his sheaves with him. 7 

" ' How can I sink, with such a prop 
As my eternal God V 

" Do not look at the difficulties of the work, 
nor at the feebleness of the instrumentality, 
but think of the all-sufficiency of the almighty 
Saviour, in obedience to whose command you 
are where you are. It is much better to be a 
mere sickle in the hand of God, than an inde- 
pendent reaping machine. Have you a more 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 85 

difficult lot than Elijah had when he fled from 
the land of Israel into the desert, to the mount 
of God ? yet God seemed not very well pleased 
with his run-away-from-duty course of conduct. 
There was something of rebuke, I ween, in the 
inquiry, ' What doest thou here, Elijah ? 7 

" Look to Jesus, now that you have taken hold 
of the plough. Probably a severe lesson like 
that which you are now having, may be just 
what you need to enable you to cast all your 
care upon Him that careth for you. 

" I doubt not but you have learned the bless- 
edness of the throne of grace. You have, I 
imagine, often come from your me 3 ting to your 
closet and attempted to commit all your labor 
to God's hand and trust him with the disposal 
of it. That is good, delightful work. 77 

"Madison University, Feb. 16, 1848. 

" Dear Father — I know that the news that 
the Lord is evidently about to pour out his 
Spirit here, and has already begun, will be 
more welcome to you than any thing else. Dur- 
ing the past two weeks the church in the vil- 
lage have been holding daily meetings, at which 
brother Kingsley has preached. A number are 
anxious, and three or four are entertaining a 



86 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

hope in Christ, and the work seems to be 
spreading. We have been well-nigh as cold 
as we could be, but now we begin to feel that 
we are cold. May we indeed feel the warming- 
influences of the Spirit. To-day I was present 
at a meeting for fasting and prayer in the vil- 
lage. It was well attended, and quite interest- 
ing ; but I am not prepared to enjoy it. I feel 
that I am far behind in spiritual matters. 77 

Mr. Biddle's engagedness during this season 
of revival, and his desire to spend and be spent 
in leading souls to Christ, as also the faithful- 
ness of God in answering prayer, are clearly 
set forth in the following letter to one of his 
sisters : 

"Madison University, Feb. 25, 1848. 

"Dear Sister Sarah — Most gladly do I 
seize a few moments to tell you that we are in 
the midst of a gracious outpouring of God's 
blessed Spirit; as to describing it, I could not 
should I make the attempt. My time has been 
taken from my lessons and every thing else, 
more or less, for the last week, and I have 
grudged even the portion spent in sleep and 
meals. Help us to praise God for his surpris- 
ing grace. Of some twenty- three or four in 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 87 

the University who were unconverted, only 
nine remain so. Oh, such rich displays of par- 
doning grace, such a smiting down of the 
impenitent, such cryings and prayers, I never 
saw. The work is one which commends itself 
to all hearts as that of God. Some answers to 
prayer have been most striking. I will men- 
tion one or two. 

" On Wednesday evening, at the request of 
some of my pupils, I went, as on the night be- 
fore, at the close of the meeting, to the Acad- 
emy, to unite with them in a prayer-meeting. 
One of the young men whom we had especially 
remembered, and who was among the first who 
became anxious, though under deep conviction, 
refused to pray for himself; we could not per- 
suade him to offer even the prayer of the pub- 
lican. One of the brethren addressing him, 
told Mm that unless he did he would one day 
pray for the mountains to fall on him. This 
brother then prayed again, and left ; some of 
us continued on, and at length concluded to 
close the meeting. We were just leaving, when 
I thought that I would speak to him again. I 
asked him why he could not pray. He replied 
that he had no words. I reminded him of the 



88 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

publican, etc. His trouble then became so 
great that he writhed in agony. The dear con- 
verts, whose hearts were deeply interested in 
his case, stood around ; and seeing him so un- 
willing to give up and humble himself before 
God, they began to weep. I told them that 
though it was eleven o'clock I could not leave 
him so, and asked those of them who felt as 
though they could pray, to do so. AH fell upon 
their knees, and he also. Most ferveat prayers 
were then offered ; and amid sighs and groans, 
he too prayed, ' God be merciful to me a sin- 
ner. 7 While they prayed I was endeavoring 
to point him to the Saviour; and I felt as 
though all my soul was drawn out to God for 
him. Such was his anguish, that I was begin- 
ning to fear that he could not live. While the 
most fervent prayers were offered for him, I 
trust he gave himself up to God. When I 
learned from him that he had given up, and 
could trust himself in God's hands, I informed 
the others ; we then ceased prayer, and sang a 
hymn. 

"Next morning I went down to meet them 
again at seven. He came into the room with 
his face full of smiles, and thanking God. There 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 89 

was joy there among the converts, and after I 
had read the one hundred and third Psalm it 
would have done any one good to hear all sing 
the hymn, 

" ' how happy are they 
Who the Saviour obey,' etc. 

Sarah, such taking hold of the promises ; 
such pleading ! I felt that we could not fail. 
If God ever enabled me to pray in faith it was 
then. I really believe I could not have left all 
night, had not the Lord heard. the precious- 
ness of the promises, they furnished such pow- 
erful arguments. 

"Such is a meagre account of one scene; 
others no less interesting have occurred fre- 
quently, and several cases of conversion which 
seem scarcely credible." 

"Madison University, April 1, 1848. 
" Dear Father — I have been most providen- 
tially provided for, just when I was well-nigh 
on shore: the offer made me to become an 
instructor in the academy supplied my imme- 
diate wants ; and through divine mercy, hence- 
forth, if I behave myself, I shall have neither 
board nor tuition to pay, as I am to have the 
benefit of brother Vinton's scholarship. It is 



90 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

a missionary one ; that is, I suppose, by accept- 
ing it I am pledged to a foreign mission. The 
last beneficiary of it was brother Lord, now of 
China. Brother Vinton founded this scholar- 
ship by savings from his salary, in addition to 
a few hundred dollars which he earned over 
and above his support when here. 

" I feel that an increased responsibility now 
rests upon me, and that things look more real 
in that respect than ever before. Why, only 
three and a half years more, and I, the Lord 
willing, shall be on the ocean on my way to 
the heathen. Well, all I can say is, may I be 
prepared for the soul-trying work : yes, this is 
my heart's desire ; and then let it come as soon 
as may be, I shall rejoice to go. I sometimes 
shrink from the work from a sense of utter un- 
fitness for it, but I think from no other reason. 
? T is true, the prospect of doing good in this 
land is sometimes rather alluring ; but, bless 
God, my purpose never wavers. I feel the need 
of much grace, that I may be wholly conse- 
crated to the work in all its bearings : not merely 
in the sacrifice of leaving dear, dear friends, 
but of laboring there alone perchance, and amid 
discouragements. You will imagine that I am 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 91 

anticipating a little too much : yes, I am ; there 
are other trials to undergo before that time, 
which may be as severe as even those." 

The session of the academy in which he was 
engaged as teacher was now closed. Respect- 
ing it he writes, 

" It has been a delightful session. You can 
scarcely imagine how loving the scholars are. 
When I commenced the instruction of my class- 
es, I felt it to be a duty to ask that the connec- 
tion between us might be profitable in respect 
to religious as well as intellectual acquirements. 
At first I hesitated about doing so publicly; 
but at length I did so, and it seems that my 
efforts were not in vain. In one class, all were 
converted who were not previously ; in another, 
some five or six, and one who had been far 
backslidden was reclaimed. The principal has 
been the leader of the inquiry-meetings, and 
has devoted himself wholly to the work, as 
also the preceptress in the female department. 
On the day that the school closed, after the 
exercises were over, it was pleasing and affect- 
ing to see the young ladies parting : those who 
had come together unconverted, now parted as 



92 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

sisters in Christ ; some of them would hang 
on one another's necks and weep. They came 
from various places, and we hope they will 
carry the good spirit with them." 

" May 5, 1848. 

" Dear Father — You may feel some desire to 
know how I look upon the influence my studies 
have exerted upon my mind and spiritual state. 
Of the former, I can say that I am sensible of 
some improvement — albeit my letters do not 
manifest it — and have made one considerable 
attainment, namely, I see that I do not know 
much, and probably, yes, surely never shall. 
I am more ignorant now than ever. 

" To some extent my spiritual state has been 
affected unfavorably, but I apprehend not more 
so than by as much engagement in any worldly 
business in which I should likely be found. 
Ambition has, I must confess, sadly absorbed 
my energies, and of all things I feel that has 
most prevented the expansion of my soul. I 
see more to be dreaded in it than in every thing 
else in college. My tendency to this often 
makes me wish myself out of all influence of it ; 
but where this would place me, I am much at a 
loss to imagine. I fear that I shall suffer from 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 93 

it everywhere, and if this is the case, it is folly 
to attempt to run away from it ; it would be 
like running away from myself. It must be 
conquered, and if so, it can be done here. The 
remedy I know ; I have attempted to apply it, 
but much as a man amputating his own limb 
would apply the knife. Faithful discharge of 
duty has at times completely banished it, and 
always will, I am confident." 

" June 14, 1848. 

" I have just added to my other duties the 
superintendence of the Sabbath-school in the 
village. I have done so for two reasons : 
first, I need to have some stronger induce- 
ments to the study of the Scriptures ; and sec- 
ondly, the school has so sadly declined that 
we have need of some effort to increase its 
efficiency. I have, however, only taken it for 
a few weeks. 

" While this will add considerably to my 
labors, now well-nigh all-sufficient, it will, I 
think, be no cause of regret. Last Sabbath 
things looked encouraging, with fifty-five schol- 
ars and ten teachers. 

u Should I take charge of the school perma- 
nently, I shall endeavor to find employment in 



94 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

this vicinity during next fall vacation, and so 
visit home only for a few days. 

" I wish that I could bring myself as readily 
into the service of God in reality as in appear- 
ance; but it is much easier to undertake all 
this responsibility, than to perform some duties 
of but a few minutes' length. I can labor far 
better than deny myself. Yet the latter is 
placed first in the list of Christian duties : 
'Deny thyself; take up thy cross, and follow 
me.' I have occasion to regret, I sometimes 
think, that the path of duty with me has for 
the most part lain very near that of inclina- 
tion. Perhaps, however, before I complete my 
pilgrimage I shall find the distance between 
them widening. I may have to undergo some 
things which will require nerve, resolution, and 
strong faith." 

" September 12, 1848. 

" I am at present reading Harris' Great Com- 
mission. It is very profitable. I am convinced 
more and more that the great qualification for 
the mission work is piety, and I really feel per- 
plexed, in view of my low attainments in this 
respect, to account for the fact that I feel it my 
duty to go ; but go I must" 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 95 

To a friend, formerly a student in the univer- 
sity, he writes, 

"Hamilton, Sept. 13, 1848. 

"Dear Brother F We are enjoying 

beautiful weather ; indeed, I am almost inclined 
to think that most of the students do not see 
Hamilton at the sweetest season of the year. 

the ripe, the mellow autumn, how I love it ! 

1 sometimes fancy that the close of life will be 
like it; then, the fruits of life's summer all 
gathered in, we shall mark the shortening of 
the days, and the occasional nipping frosts tak- 
ing one beauty after another, but really adding 
in return others more solemn. Some love 
spring best ; I like all seasons, but autumn best 
of all. 

" My duties in the academy have begun again, 
and contrary to my expectations I am to have as 
much to do there as ever. How in the world do 
you contrive to use such an enormous amount 
of time in visiting ? I do not know the secret 
of visiting so long without wishing myself back 
at my books. I love to go and see the folks 
and talk with them, but I can do all that in 
one week, and then I am like Jack ashore. 

"How do you get along in divine things? 



96 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

This is the most important of all matters, yet 
how strangely inclined are we to put off all 
conversation on the subject. If we felt right 
we should not act thus. We are not accus- 
tomed to set our affections upon things above ; 
earth, earth with all its follies is greater in our 
eyes than heaven. I wish I could get some 
conception of the greatness of heaven. I need 
resolution to keep the known path of duty, and 
quite as much to recover it when lost." 

Desiring earnestly a thorough revival of the 
work of God in his heart, he writes to his 
father, Sept. 29, 1848, 

" I hope that your letters will ever be direct- 
ed to the promoting of it. For this reason I 
am glad that in your last letter you addressed 
me very plainly. I have always felt the benefit 
and importance of those remarks in your let- 
ters which treat of personal piety. I am 
most painfully conscious of a misimprovement 
of many opportunities for getting good, and a 
great tendency to place worldly knowledge 
above spiritual. On this point I shall ever 
esteem it a high privilege to be faithfully 
reproved, as well as advised." 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 97 

" October 21, 1848. 
" Two weeks ago to-morrow I went down to 
North Norwich, about twelve miles south of us, 
where they are enjoying a precious season of 
refreshing, and tried to address them from the 
words, ' I will arise, and go to my Father.' It 
was to me a very solemn time ; the house was 
crowded to overflowing. It was an ordinary 
sized school-house, perhaps a little larger, and 
there must have been about two hundred per- 
sons in the room. Every eye indicated interest 
and attention. I went there to receive benefit, 
and I had no occasion to repent it, though I 
walked almost the whole distance down and all 
the way back. Some twenty or thirty have 
been hopefully converted. It was encouraging 
to see sinners asking for the prayers of Chris- 
tians. When shall we hear of more attention 
to this subject?" 

In the following letter we see this young 
Christian " diligent in business, fervent in 
spirit, serving the Lord." 

"Hamilton, Dec. 2, 1848. 
" Dear Father — I thank you for the heads 
of your charge to brother - . Most likely, in 

Biddle. ^ 



98 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

the course of three years, you will have the 
opportunity of charging me in view of a foreign 
field. I tremble when I think of it. Oh, how 
can I endure the temptations of such a station? 
I shrink, yet feel unwavering. I wrote to 
brother Ingalls of Akyab last spring, and re- 
ceived an answer a few weeks ago. I inquired 
for advice as to preparation. His reply was, 
1 To be thoroughly acquainted with the charac- 
ter of Christ ; the preaching of Christ is the 
appointed means, the only means for the over- 
throw of Budhism.' 

" I am at present examining the character of 
Christ with reference to a sermon on the words, 
1 To you therefore who believe he is precious/ 
It is a delightful subject. 

" But my hands are so full. It is enough to 
carry on my studies only ; but to teach three 
classes besides, and a fourth in a few days, 
besides other duties which cannot be avoided, 
is too much : this winter must end my teaching, 
I think. How I shall be provided for I do not 
know, but I will trust Providence if it be my 
duty to do as I purpose. 

" Perhaps it would be interesting to you to 
know how my time is occupied. Well, to be- 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 99 

gin, I get up as soon as I can in the morning : 
my rule is five o'clock, but this is infringed 
upon by sitting up generally from two to three 
hours beyond my set time, ten o'clock ; but it 
seems wholly unavoidable, so I rise say at from 
six to six and a half; devotions and reading 
of the Bible and Septuagint till seven and a 
half ; then breakfast, or before that I cut wood 

for Mrs. C- to help pay my board. After 

breakfast I go to the hill — for I sleep in the 
academy — and study till eleven, when we recite 
in Greek ; then dinner — studying over the les- 
son I have to hear while I eat ; next I hear the 
recitations of two classes in algebra, and one 
in geometry ; then run on the hill, to be in time 
for my Latin. At the close of that comes men- 
tal philosophy ; then at five I go to the village 
or my room ; then tea ; then to my studies and 
writing letters, etc., till bedtime. I omitted 
that I make it a rule to have my evening devo- 
tions before studying, as I am generally too 
sleepy at bedtime. My evenings, however, 
are spent in this way only once in a while ; for 
once a month the Monday evening is taken up 
till eight, or eight and a half, with the monthly 
concert: Wednesday evening is class prayer- 



100 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

meeting, which lasts till seven and a half, thus 
preventing my studies till eight or later : Thurs- 
day evening I take charge of the Sabbath-school 
teachers' meeting ; this occupies till eight and 
a half or nine o'clock, and has of course to be 
prepared for. Friday evening is the meeting 
of the Literary Society, which holds from seven 
till nine, ten, or eleven, as the case may be. As 
I am now censor in our Society, I must once a 
month give a general critique on the proceed- 
ings of the Society, and also criticise the ora- 
tions pronounced, which, when the appoint- 
ments are full, are four each month. Saturday 
evening is twice a month devoted to the meet- 
ing of the Eastern Association, occupying till 
nine. For this I have now to prepare an 
essay ; then too I have an oration — one of the 
institution duties — to prepare for delivery next 
term in the chapel. Add to this, that as super- 
intendent of the Sabbath-school I must be exert- 
ing myself constantly ; must find matter to ad- 
dress to the children, keep on the watch to pick 
up scholars, purchase library books, label and 
catalogue them, collect a subscription to buy 
them, and look up teachers when any leave, as 
well as act as chairman of the library commit- 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 101 

tee of our society, and thus collect its funds, 
liold meetings of the committee, purchase 
books, etc., and as corresponding secretary of 
the Eastern Association keep up correspond- 
ence with the missionaries. Then you would 
find fault if I did not write you once in a while, 
and some dozen others would do the same. Now 
am I not far from idle ? I am afraid that you 
groan and say 'tis too much, that I ought to 
give up some of these. I have looked over 
them all for the same purpose, but see none 
which I can conscientiously give up, as I think 
I could show you, had I time. One thing is 
certain, it makes me more of a practical being 
than most are, but it robs me of the advantages 
of leisure study. I get the horrors sometimes 
when I think that I have to endure all this 
labor the whole winter, but I get through it 
each week, and am happy as a king, for the 
most part. 

" P. S. I have not given this schedule of 
duties by way of boasting, but that you may 
know how I spend my time, and may make 
allowance for me." 



102 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

CHAPTER V. 

THE SINGLE PURPOSE— CONTINUED. 

Writing to a friend, Feb. 10, 1849, lie says, 
" Last Sabbath two were baptized here ; one 
of them a boy of some thirteen years, a member 
of our Sabbath-school, and also of the academic 
department of the university. He is a dear, 
lovely boy. Another of the children, a little 
girl, in the inquiry-meeting to-day, expressed 
to me a hope. I do think that we have some 
ground to hope for her, but she is so young — 
about eight or nine — that I do not know wheth- 
er she fully comprehended all that I asked her ; 
at all events, her replies were very satisfactory. 
I asked her why she thought her heart was 
changed — for she had just told me that she 
thought so — she replied, ' Because I asked God 
to change it. 7 what a reproof! To me it 
was like saying, ' thou of little faith/ I 
had last week, at a similar meeting, where she 
was present, dwelt on the importance of faith 
in Christ's word, and quoted the promise to 
answer prayer. I hope we are to see good 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 103 

days yet among the children. May God grant 
it. How it glorifies Him for children to be 
converted. I love the dear creatures. If one 
boy who was baptized last Lord's day should 
live, he will become a missionary, I hope. He 
thinks much of it. He boards with me at Mrs. 
C 's. Some few weeks before his conver- 
sion, he said to me, ' Mr. Biddle, as mother 
told me I might choose my own profession in 
life, I have been thinking that I should like to 
be a missionary.' Said I, ' There is something 
necessary before that can happen, you must love 
God.' ' I know it,' said he, ' but if I should be 
converted, I hope I shall become a missionary.' " 

Mr. Biddle loved the children, and the chil- 
dren loved him. Says the little boy referred 
to in the above extract, in a letter to Mr. Bid- 
dle after his own removal from Hamilton, " I 
don't know what to do with my arms at night, 
I have become so accustomed to putting them 
around your neck." 

A fortnight later, he writes respecting the 
interest of the children in religion, " In addi- 
tion to the boy of whom I wrote before, two of 
the little girls give pleasing evidence of being 
born again. Others are serious, but I fear not 



104 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

deeply so. Thus the Lord has blessed our 
labors, and to his name be all the praise. The 
clear little ones are very much at home with 
me. Many of them attend the academy, and 
when I go in and out to and from my classes, 
they will run and hold out their arms, smack- 
ing their lips for a kiss." 

Though happily situated and successfully 
prosecuting his studies, his soul was not at 
rest. In a letter to a friend who was also pre- 
paring for the foreign field, he says, 

" We students sometimes say, and we think 
it, ' I do not believe we shall ever see happier 
days than these. 7 But on such occasions we 
forget that there is a luxury in doing as well as 
getting good. The student's life, under favora- 
ble circumstances, is a happy one, but I would 
not, for all its real pleasures, forego the joy of 
living as a recognized and faithful ambassador 
of the court of heaven in the most refractory 
province over which the God of heaven pre- 
sides. No, I would not hesitate now, were it 
evidently my duty, to go Burmah or elsewhere 
to spend the few days I have to live, in travel- 
ling about as did the Master and his faithful 
apostles, 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 105 

" I think I can say, I know I have said with 
brother Brown, 

" ' Henceforth, then, 
It matters not if storm or sunshine be 
My earthly lot — bitter or sweet my cup : 
I only pray, God fit me for the work ; 
God make me holy, and my spirit nerve 
For the stern hour of strife.' 

" And what but the grace of God can arm us 
for the duty? Knowledge will not, mental 
energy will not, zeal will not. Knowledge 
may fail, mental ability be perverted, and zeal 
burn out, but grace can never fail, be per- 
verted, or expire. how important that we 
rightly inquire, Have we each become possessed 
of it? Let the Searcher of hearts give us 
divine light while we make the examination. 
To be deceived here, how ruinous! ; t is fatal. 
That was a comprehensive prayer of Paul when 
he bowed his knee to ask that the eyes of the 
understanding of his brethren might be enlight- 
ened, that they might know what is the hope of 
Christ's calling. But it did not include so much 
as that in which he besought that God would 
grant to them, according to the riches of his 
grace, to be strengthened with might in the 
inner man by his Spirit, that Christ might dwell 



106 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE 

in their hearts by faith, and they be rooted 
and grounded in love." 

" November 19, 1849. 

"Dear Father — We have some interesting 
meetings here, and I think that a desire for a 
revival generally pervades the minds of the 
students. "We are by no means impressed as 
we should be with a sense of our need. I do 
hope that this state of things may not continue ; 
we are not living epistles ' known and read of 
all men.' A few of us hold a morning prayer- 
meeting, but I fear we are not engaged in the 
prayers as we should be. We ask, I fear, be- 
cause we know we need, rather than because we 
feel we need. 

" When in New York, a brother in the six- 
teenth-street church asked me concerning my 
studies, and hearing that I was in want of 
funds, said that he would give me twenty dol- 
lars this year, if the Berean brethren would 
give forty more. I did not suppose I could get 
it, but a few days since I wrote to a commit- 
tee of the church on the subject, and on Friday 
last received answer that the money should be 
forthcoming. So God has kindly provided me 
with all I asked for." 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 107 

" Hamilton, Dec. 21, 1849. 

11 Dear C To-day the funeral of Elder 

John Peck* took place at his old residence, 
Woodstock. Thus has fallen one of the old 
standard-bearers ; and who shall take his place ? 
Full of years, and loved by all who knew him, 
he has finished his course. How blessed the 
righteous when he dies ! Could others feel as 
well assured with regard to us, were we to be 
taken ? Many might hope, but how many could 
feel assured ? 

" One of my classmates is sick, and may be 
so unto death. I have thought, What if it were 
I instead of him? Should he depart, we all 
know that his would be the death of the right- 
eous. 

11 Some sing, ' for an overcoming faith/ I 

am not sufficiently advanced to ask even for 

this. I need the first buddings of confidence. 

Where is the heart-swelling consciousness of 

* For thirty-one years a laborious and successful 
pastor, and afterwards the indefatigable agent of the 
New York State Baptist Missionary Convention. " In 
almost every public enterprise originated and prose- 
cuted for the extension of the Redeemer's kingdom in 
connection with the Baptists of New York, he bore a 
prominent and leading part." 



108 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

need from above ; not the cold and ready con- 
viction of judgment, but the deep, soul-moving 
longing after God ? Where that hour of child- 
like, simple, sincere pouring out of the soul in 
secret before Him who seeth all ? Where that 
sensible communion with God? Where the 
melting, sweetly subduing effusion of divine 
grace? Where the joy of a conscience freed 
by the blood of atonement from all the bonds 
of death ? Where the ardent longing, the burn- 
ing desire to lead, aye, draw others to the same 
blessing ? Gone ! Can it be that it has gone ? 
Is it possible that I am living without any real 
intercourse with my Father ? Oh, I would that 
I had the assurance that it were not so. But 
I find it not. A void, yes, an aching void is 
here, and I have no thought of filling it with 
any thing I know of in the world. I know that 
it must ever be thus, unless Christ and the 
Spirit fill it. 

" Oh, a world for the feeling of David when h£f 
penned that sweet twenty-third Psalm. I have 
been reading it in Hebrew ; it is very rich." 

Writing to the same friend on the first day 
of the new year, he says, 

"I have tried to-dav. I did yesterday try to 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 109 

pray that 1850 may be to me a year of deliver- 
ance from bondage, that I may see the King in 
the glory which as Saviour and Mediator he 
bears. But my heart sinks within me as I 
write, since I have so often had higher hopes 
than these most completely dashed. Were 
there not mercy with God, that he might be 
feared, I should despair. 77 

A few days later he writes, 

" Madison University, Jan. 18, 1850. 

" Dear Father and Mother — A happy New- 
year to you, if it be not too late. How swiftly 
are we borne on time 7 s most rapid wing 1 An- 
other quarter of a century, and probably our 
scattered family will be together again ; if not 
here, may we certainly be together in the eter- 
nal world of joy. This is our hope. Our bodies 
may be reposing at the distance of half the 
globe ; but what matters it ? 7 T will be as easy 
to die in India, in some bamboo house, as on 
the softest bed in father 7 s house; aye, much 
sweeter, if the intervening period be spent in 
teaching the dark dull pagan how to love the 
Saviour. Europe holds the ashes of a brother, 
America those of two sisters ; Africa will prob- 
ably furnish a tomb for a sister, and I hope to 



110 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

sleep in Asia ; but when the trump shall sound, 
may it be true of us that we shall come from 
the east and from the west, and sit down in 
the kingdom of God. 

" One of our number, brother William Ward, 
goes out to Assam in June. One or two may 
go out in the fall, but it is doubtful. Then 
next comes our class. Brother Bright, secre- 
tary of the Missionary Union, will be here in 
a few weeks, and I shall probably have some 
talk with him about an appointment, but of 
course I do not know what the result will be. 

"I have some expectation of spending the 
spring vacation in Ohio, preaching and teach- 
ing as assistant in a large academy there. I 
shall in that case infringe on the summer a 
little, but I must try and get out of debt. I 
have a good offer. I do not know how I shall 
get on, but I shall not have more to do than I 
have frequently had here. It was not thought 
of by me until the invitation came. I have not 
fully decided." 

Respecting this offer, he writes in a letter of 
earlier date, " Whatever I do, I mean to keep 
my eye on the mission field." 

There is almost a painful interest in the fol- 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. Ill 

lowing illustration of his self-denying faithful- 
ness and desire to benefit souls. 

" Madison University, Feb. 9, 1850. 

" Dear Father — Last Saturday I took a walk 
of some thirty-five miles to preach on the Sab- 
bath ; the last three hours of the time occupied 
in performing it, was passed in a snow-storm. 
I went rather to please a good brother, who is 
trying to do good to a little church in that 
vicinity, than because there were other indica- 
tions of duty. 

" I felt rather blank, on arriving in the morn- 
ing at one of the places where there was an 
appointment, to find the house closed and the 
fire unlighted, though it was past the time for 
service. Going to a brother's house, I found 
he had his razor in hand, preparatory to wash- 
ing and dressing for meeting. In about an hour 
the congregation were assembled. In the after- 
noon, there were present at another place about 
fifteen. In the evening we had a good prayer- 
meeting. On Monday I returned to Hamilton, 
having walked all day. I was not disappointed, 
nor did I regret the tour, though when time is 
precious as it is now, I can employ my time to 
better advantage here." 



112 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

Again we see his energy and fidelity in task- 
ing himself to preach the glorious gospel of the 
blessed God. Writing to his father, he says, 

" I found myself depending too much on my 
old sermons ; so a week ago I put sermons and 
sketches all in the fire except two, which I 
thought were of such a nature that I should 
not depend on them. Now I must go to work 
and prepare some new ones. I shall need to 
do something soon, for if I go to Ohio I shall 
not have much time to prepare for the Sabbath. 
But I need more of love to God to prepare 
sermons. 77 

" Hamilton, June 24, 1850. 

" Dear C 1 preached yesterday at Wa- 

terville from the words, c Jesus Christ, the same 
yesterday, to-day, and for ever. 7 It is a glori- 
ous theme. What an exalting thought, that we 
are so intimately attached to one who is un- 
changeable. How it magnifies his character as 
Intercessor, as Mediator, as Friend and Helper, 
in every sense of these words. 

" And this is He who says to you and me, if 
he calls us to go abroad, yes, if to stay at 
home, 'I will never leave thee, nor forsake 
thee. 7 What shall separate us from the love of 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 113 

Christ? To go and labor for years amid the 
trials of sickness and discouragement, is not so 
easy but that the thought of it makes me trem- 
'ble, lest I be found unable to resist tempta- 
tion. 7 ' 

Writing, July 2, to the same friend, respect- 
ing a work of grace which was in progress 
among the pupils of the Institute at New Hamp- 
ton, N. H., he says, 

"I feel interested to know how it is with 
those who were anxious. You will of course 
let me know. It is delightful work, when one 
can do it, to point with an anxious heart the 
inquiring soul to God. "What a difference it 
makes in the pleasure of this act, however, if 
we are sensible of doing it only from the im- 
pulses of the judgment. I had rather know 
but little, and feel what I do know, than to 
know all about the duty of a sinner and his 
relation to God, and yet be unmoved by it. 
Much of our enjoyment, should we be permitted 
to enter the field abroad, will arise from a sat- 
isfaction that we are doing what is greatly 
needed ; and if we can always add to that the 
pleasure of being in earnest in our entreaties 
to men to become reconciled to God, I do 



114 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

not know where we could be more happily 
situated." 

On account of frequent absence, he was now 
obliged to resign his superintendence of the 
Sabbath-school in the village. He writes, 

" This I would not do, could I avoid it con- 
sistently, for I have an undiminished interest 
in the success of the school. In looking back 
upon the time that I have been superintendent, 
now nearly or quite two years, I find it has 
been a great source of profit to me in several 
ways, and not least in giving me confidence to 
address an audience. Notwithstanding all my 
pleasure, however, I am sad when I reflect that 
during that period but few have been converted 
to God. 

" In view of the fact that I am not positive 
of ever having been the means of leading one 
soul to God, I sometimes think that perhaps 
here is an evidence of my not having been 
called to the ministry, though this alone would 
not make me feel so, did every thing else ap- 
pear right." 

On this latter subject he writes, July 25th, 
" I love to preach when I can feel the truth. I 
do not know of any thing which I had rather 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 115 

be doing when death comes. Oh that I were 
wise to win souls. 77 

Hannah More, in her excellent work on 
Practical Piety, remarks, "Humility does not 
consist in telling our faults, but in bearing to 
be told of them, in hearing them patiently and 
even thankfully, in correcting ourselves when 
told, and in not hating those who tell us of them. 77 
That Mr. Biddle possessed this humility is evi- 
dent from the following record, which we find 
in his "Arcanum, 77 under date of July 4, 1850. 

" This evening my chum called my attention 
to a great defect in my character, one which I 
have for some time suspected to exist, but 
which I hoped did not — an acerbity of manner 
which is exceedingly painful to those towards 
whom it is exercised. Upon this I have had 
some reflections. 

" I. What influence will this have upon my 
character as a missionary? A ruinous one. 
It will make me an unwelcome companion to 
other missionaries, prevent me from approach- 
ing the heathen as I otherwise might, and unfit 
me for training up converts. 

" II. What will be its influence upon those 
who are dear to me? It will be a source of 



116 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

great pain to them, it will cause me often to 
wound their feelings ; and though I have no 
doubt that such a result will make me as sad 
as it does them, yet if I should be once guilty 
of it, it may inflict an irreparable injury on 
their happiness, and possibly on their char- 
acter. 

u III. How does it affect the subjects of it ? 
Chum says that he ' would as lief be struck, as 
addressed in that way,' It is then a moral 
violence, and worse than physical, since it 
affects a more sensitive and exalted nature. 

" IV. May not this be the reason why, when 
in the company of the more modest and retir- 
ing, I am often pained by observing a sort of 
timidity and a disinclination to cross my opin- 
ions ? I think it must be. 

"V. How has it been produced? It is a 
natural inclination, fostered in no little degree 
by regarding sharp and cutting replies and 
laconic phrases as indicative of mental power, 
and accordingly cultivating it in a partial de- 
gree ; by having during the past few years 
occupied places of direction in the university, 
and also as superintendent of the Sabbath- 
school, where my wishes have been law. 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 11? 

"VI. How can it be cured? Nothing but 
the grace of God can eradicate it, and I must 
make use of both ordinary and extraordinary 
means which God has appointed for that pur- 
pose, making it a matter of special prayer for 
aid. It has probably grown upon me, and will 
ruin me, if not soon checked. Lord, help, for 
thy name's sake and glory. It is entirely op- 
posed to thy Spirit, blessed Jesus ; for ' if any 
man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none 
of his.'" 

How true are the words of Solomon, " Re- 
buke a wise man, and he will love thee ;" and 
what a confirmation of the words of a wiser 
than Solomon, il If thy brother trespass against 
thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and 
him alone : if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained 
thy brother. 17 

Twice during the two preceding years Mr. 
Biddle had been invited to the position of a 
tutor of mathematics in the university, but felt 
it his duty to decline. 

The offer was now renewed by the faculty, 
and pressed upon his acceptance. As the du- 
ties of the station would materially interfere 
with progress in his own studies, and not un- 



118 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

likely delay his departure to the heathen at 
least a year, he hesitated ; nor would he decide 
at all, until it was evident that there would be 
no opportunity for him to go to the East during 
that year. 

To present his character in this new position, 
and to show the effect it had upon him, we will 
digress somewhat, and group together such 
parts of his correspondence as relate to this 
matter. 

Having asked his father's advice on the sub- 
ject, and receiving an answer making sundry 
suggestions, he thus replies to one of them : 

"Hamilton, Oct. 2, 1850. 

" Dear Father — In answer to your first in- 
quiry I must say, No. No appointment from 
any faculty whatever, nor board either, shall 
interfere with my going east." 

To a friend in New York city he writes, 
Oct. 19, 

" Dear Our vacation of nine weeks is 

just coming to a close, and I have before me 
the duties and anxieties of a new station. My 
appointment to the tutorship in mathematics is 
not of my own seeking, by any means ; indeed, 
I had twice before, during the past two years, 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 119 

declined the same situation, which was tempo- 
rarily offered me. 

" This appointment is not to interfere with 
my departure for the East next year. If God 
will, I shall therefore be ready to go next fall. 
Some subjects to which I had hoped to devote 
my undivided attention this year will necessa- 
rily be matters for future and more thorough 
investigation. I shall probably then be able to 
leave Hamilton free from all debt, save what I 
shall owe to my father, and possibly I may be 
free from that. This will be an advantage. 
Another is, that I shall have a very thorough 
course of mental training this year, and it will 
probably be the most valuable of my whole 
course. 

" I have found that my responsibilities have 
increased every year that I have been here, 
and the freedom from care so desirable to a 
student has not been my lot. I am so consti- 
tuted that I feel interested in every thing 
which I regard as good, and cannot sit and 
look on, as many of my fellow-students can. 
True, it renders me liable to become too much 
involved in business, but every temperament 
has its own evils." 



120 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

" October 26, 1850. 

" None can appreciate fully the self-denial I 
am practising in sparing so nmcli time for teach- 
ing this winter, but it is severe. Many doubt- 
less think I take the appointment as something 
of the nature of an honor, and that it is pleas- 
ing. These are trials, but they will not harm 
me. God willing, I will show them that I 
think less of these honors than of the priva- 
tions of missionary service.* 

i; 'My soul is not at rest. There comes a strange 
And secret whisper to my spirit, like 
A dream of night, that tells me I am on 
Enchanted ground. ' 

" And when this duty 7 s done, ' 1 will go. ? 7: 

"November 10, 1850. 
" I find my employment very profitable and 
pleasant, and I hope my services are acceptable 
to my classes. I have adopted the rule of open- 
ing every recitation with prayer. I conceive 
that it has a good influence on the recitation. 

* His spirit was that of the venerable William Carey, 
who, when the Eangoon government showered honors 
upon his son Felix, gave vent to his feelings in these 
remarkable words : " My son is shrivelled from a mission- 
ary into an ambassador" Cox's History of Baptist Mis- 
sions. 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 121 

It tends to check asperity on the part of the 
teacher, and disrespect on the part of the pupil. 
Albeit it is rather difficult to pray on such oc- 
casions without repetition. Of all places, how- 
ever, I find the duty of leading in chapel service 
one of the most trying ; I feel quite hampered.' 7 

"December 5, 1850. 

"You can hardly conceive how rapidly my 
time dashes away; it seems really, without a 
particle of exaggeration, more like a dream 
than a reality, that I am where I am, and pass- 
ing through the duties of the day. It seems 
like eating and going to bed by the half day, 
rather than by the whole day. I make long 
days of them too, retiring at eleven and get- 
ting up at six, of course taking some time to 
get asleep. I get about six and a half hours' 
rest. 

" My time is fully occupied, and I think the 
drilling I am now getting as a teacher will im- 
part to me no inconsiderable benefit. It makes 
me more exact than I am naturally inclined to 
be, and this is indispensable. I am contemplat- 
ing taking a Bible-class of young ladies. I 
find that there are few exercises which make 
the study of the Bible more successful than the 



122 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

obligation of meeting and explaining it to in- 
telligent persons. I think I shall take such a 
class, and study the Bible topically." 

"January 15, 1851. 

"I am contented in my present position, and 
feel no misgivings as to duty. I think I was 
in the path of duty when I accepted here, but 
yet I shall not be sorry when other duties shall 
call me away from my colleagues and associ- 
ates." 

Speaking of the hope expressed by a young 
lady that she had been benefited by his labors 
for her and others' good, he says, 

" Since then I have been thinking that I 
might have been instrumental of much more 
good in a similar way, had I spent this winter 
in preaching, as I might have done, instead of 
teaching. But after all, perhaps my influence 
here, small as it is, has effected something in 
building up the cause of ministerial education, 
and thus rendering permanent an institution 
which shall still go on to bless the world. This 
was my intention, and certainly our prospects 
are brightening." 

In this important trust he continued, doing 
and getting good, until the close of his connec- 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 123 

tion with the institution. The estimation in 
which his labors were held is expressed in Dr. 
Eaton's parting address to the class graduat- 
ing from the theological department in 1851. 

11 In regard to the official station which you, 
my brother, have sustained as a member of the 
board of instruction," said Dr. Eaton, "it is 
enough for me to say here, in behalf of my col- 
leagues, and of the constituted guardians of the 
institution, that so highly do they esteem your 
services and influence in this relation, that 
nothing but the paramount claims of the sacred 
cause to which you have consecrated your 
future life, could make us willing to give you 
up. To that cause we cheerfully resign you, 
for to it we hold the institution itself, and our 
own selves, with all our official and personal 
interests, as subordinate and subservient ; and 
no offering in our power to make, could we 
regard as too costly to lay upon its hallowed 
altar." 

We will now resume the regular order of the 
correspondence. 

"Hamilton, Dec. 23, 1850. 

" Dear C 1 have just been reading the 

sixtieth of Isaiah j and I never can do so with- 



124 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

out feeling an elevation of spirit. My first 
discourse was from the nineteenth verse of that 
chapter, and I should like to preach from it 
again : ' Thy God thy glory.' Did we but 
realize it, we should never be the miserable 
grovelling beings we are. Earthly honor, fame, 
wealth, ease, power, would be but the dust ot 
the threshing floor. what a change is that 
which makes God our glory! If he be our 
glory, what matters it where we spend our 
lives ? Let us go to the glowing tropics or the 
eternal snows, to the enlightened or the de- 
graded, to the wise or the unwise, happy, 
happy we. Earthly glory may fade, will fade, 
and fade too when the place it occupied in the 
heart cannot be unoccupied. This glory ever 
gathers brightness, and pours a rich flood 
of delight over the soul. Men very often dis- 
cover that they have gloried in their shame, 
that their noblest achievements have only 
brought disgrace upon themselves; but not so 
with him who has God for his glory. 

" I have long been convinced that one great 
error of my life has been to hope for more 
favorable circumstances in which to work for 
God than those in which I was placed, and 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 125 

therefore to delay the exercise of all my pow- 
ers where I might be. If we do not labor faith- 
fully now, we have not the slightest reason to 
believe that we shall when otherwise situated. 
It is a fearfully effective temptation of Satan. 
May we both be delivered from it. 77 

" February 7, 1851. 

11 1 have this evening been visiting a young 
lady who is under concern of mind. She seems 
to be greatly concerned, and was all in tears. 
Her younger sister has just come out very hap- 
pily. They were members of the Sabbath- 
school when I came here, and have grown up 
in it. Their mother died two years ago, and 
they have been very thoughtful ever since. As 
the church have no pastor, and as I have been 
conducting their meetings of conference, I 
thought it to be my duty this evening to call 
on them. I did so the more cheerfully because 
the one converted thinks that my remarks in 
the meetings had been blessed to her." 

Referring again to the unconverted sister, he 
writes, February 24, 

" A week ago yesterday, with special refer- 
ence to her case and that of another young 
lady, I preached from, ' Come unto me, all ye 



126 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

that labor/ etc. The truth was blessed of 
God's Holy Spirit to her good, and she thinks 
she was enabled that afternoon to go to Christ. 
If this be really so, surely here is occasion for 
joy and humility. 

" Another young lady whom I visited on 
Thursday evening, is in a very singular state 
of mind. She says she has many doubts of the 
truth of religion, the existence of God, etc., and 
yet she wishes to be a Christian, and loves the 
prayer-meeting and the company of Christians. 
She once thought she was converted. I wish 
you to remember her in your prayers. She 
has but a little time to stay in Hamilton, and 
her brother, one of the students, is very anxious 
that she should be relieved from this dreadful 
state of mind ere she leaves. She rises for 
prayer, and seems much concerned, but com- 
plains of a hard heart." 

On the first of June in this year, Mr. Biddle 
commenced keeping a journal, as this exercise 
would be required of him by the rules of the 
"Union/ 7 on entering the missionary service. 
On opening it he writes, 

" Nearly six years have elapsed since I kept 
a journal, and those have been in many respects 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 12T 

the most important in my life. My habits are 
now to a great degree fixed. A journal, ju- 
diciously kept, might have been of great benefit 
to me, enabling me to see the general bent of 
my mind, my besetting sins, and the most suc- 
cessful means of obtaining a victory over them. 
It would also have been eminently instructive 
to myself to see in what particulars and in what 
way my mind has been changed, for I find that 
many changes have taken place during six 
years. I am in reality living in a world which 
then was almost a terra incognita. 

" I gave up my journal simply because I found 
in myself a tendency to record only such 
thoughts as would appear well to another were 
he looking it over. This I knew was a species 
of deception, and would probably result in com- 
plete self-deception. 

" In again commencing a journal, I am appre- 
hensive on the same score ; but I am induced 
to resume the practice from the following con- 
siderations : 1. I shall be under obligation ere 
long to keep a journal for the Executive Com- 
mittee, in accordance with the regulations im- 
posed upon all missionaries. 2. I know it can 
be made useful to me, in the respects above 



128 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

mentioned. 3. The habit of accuracy which it 
will foster is greatly needed by me. 4. With 
the change in my habits of thought and obser- 
vation produced by a course of study, I may 
expect many thoughts to occur to my mind 
which, for my own sake, and that of my useful- 
ness as a public teacher, I ought to record for 
reference. 

" And here at the outset I would entreat the 
aid of the divine Spirit, that I may keep this 
record with Christian integrity and Christian 
industry. May it be such a record of my life 
as will present to my own view, at any future 
time, a true portrait of myself, and an exhibi- 
tion of God's dealings with me. May it be 
neither too favorable to my faults, nor a mere 
journal record of a few meagre incidents writ- 
ten because I must write." 

Owing to the unsettled state in which he was 
at this period, his journal was kept but irregu- 
larly, and we therefore find but little worthy 
of particular attention. We give, however, a 
few extracts from the latter portion of it. 

" June 27. My duties in the university press 
heavily upon me, and I really cannot see how 
I shall meet all that lies before me in the next 



THE SINGLE PURPOSE. 129 

eight weeks. I find that my intellectual efforts 
are feeble ; and that I tend to slip round a duty 
that presses hard upon me. I cannot at pres- 
ent concentrate my mind as I wish to do ; this 
may be attributable to the multiplicity of en- 
gagements which I have." 

" July 3. There is some serious defect in my 
method of living. I read and study almost to 
no purpose. For two days past I have been 
reading ' Harris 7 Commission/ and similar 
works, preparatory to entering upon the writ- 
ing of my graduating oration, which will 
probably be on some missionary topic ; but I 
make no headway. I drop asleep at any time, 
and cannot make a beginning, though I have 
the main divisions distinctly before me. I feel 
very much in the condition of Samson, when 
the Lord departed from him. My devotional 
exercises are repeatedly cut short by falling 
into a doze ; in fact I seem to be under the 
reign of stupidity. I hope I shall recover from 
this, or I shall be a useless thing in India." 

How applicable to his case just then were 
the words of the Saviour to his apostles, " Come 
yo yourselves apart into a desert place, and 
rest a while." Mark 6:31. While in the flesh, 



130 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

the faithful servant needs and must have rest of 
mind and of body. It is in heaven only that we 
can serve God, " resting not day nor night." 

" August 3. This morning I have thought, in 
view of the long neglect of my journal, that I 
ought to take a few moments for making a 
memorandum of the past two weeks. The main 
reason for this neglect has been the pressure 
of duties attendant upon the plan of having my 
ordination take place before Commencement." 

In all that he did, Mr. Biddle was deeply 
impressed with the truth, that without Christ 
he could do nothing. In a sketch of a sermon 
of his on John 15 : 5, the following on the sub- 
ject occurs : 

" '-Without me ye can do nothing/ is written 
upon the first page of the Christian's life ; like 
the subject of a book, it stands in capitals at 
the head of each page, and it is the closing 
sentence of the volume. The apprehension of 
this truth is the dawn of salvation in the soul 
when sunk under the oppressive gloom of con- 
viction ; the full understanding of it is the 
noontide splendor of heaven ; and it is written 
upon the tombstone of all who die in the faith." 



THE COLPORTEUR. 131 

CHAPTER VI. 

THE COLPORTEUR. 

"A sower went forth to sow." Matt. 13:3. 

Desiring to spend the summer vacation of 
1847 profitably to himself, and at the same time 
be the means of benefiting others, Mr. Biddle 
directed his attention to the subject of colpor- 
tage in connection with the American Tract 
Society. With a friend and " fellow-helper in 
the Lord," he received a commission to labor 
for two months on Long Island. 

Of his views respecting this work, he thus 
writes from the university : 

" July 12, 1847. 

" Dear Father — I feel that it is an impor- 
tant work, and one in which there is ample 
room for the exercise of every talent as well 
as grace. When engaged in tract distribution 
in New York, I almost invariably went to my 
district with a good deal of hesitancy; but 
generally I found satisfaction in doing the 
work assigned me, though I never was fully 
satisfied with what I did. I feel verv much 



132 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

the same now, and am fearful that I shall be 
insufficient for the proper performance of the 
work. The pecuniary profits are next to noth- 
ing, as it will cost me nearly half of what I 
shall receive to go and return home again. 77 

With his fellow-laborer he entered on his 
work on the fourteenth of August, and labored 
till the first of October. We have a general 
summary of his labors and their results, so far 
as they were discernable, in a few brief extracts 
from letters to his father. 

" September 7, 1847. 

" Our success in selling has been quite good. 
We have disposed of $180 by sales, and near- 
ly $10 by grant. With regard to our suc- 
cess in other labors. I cannot speak so favor- 
ably. I often fear that I am not so faithful as 
God requires — lest a want of moral courage 
has prevented me from doing all my duty in 
every instance. What to say is often a ques- 
tion with us. If we say this, it may not suit ; 
if that, it may be no less objectionable. In- 
deed, if any good results from my conversations, 
it must be solely because the Lord chooses to 
bless his truth. The work is a good one, and 
I should think that the experience of a year 



THE COLPORTEUR. 133 

would give a much greater relish for it than a 
shorter period. One needs to be familiar with 
a multitude of things which can be better learn- 
ed in this way than in any other. I cannot but 
hope that the distribution of so many books of 
a valuable character may tend to the good of 
the people ; and in many instances they may be 
read by the young when those who purchased 
them are dead and gone." 

Again he writes, 

" The work in villages is not so profitable 
in any respect as in the country. If I were 
to engage again in the work, I should choose a 
field where such labor is more needed. Here 
the people are tolerably well supplied with 
religious books. I think that the work has 
been thus far of considerable profit to me in 
making me feel more deeply the necessity of 
increased love to God, and more anxiety for 
the welfare of my fellow-men. 

" Generally we have been treated with much 
kindness ; in but two instances was I addressed 
in a way which hurt my feelings, and only once 
was I compelled to sleep in a barn." 

In his report to the Society at the close of 
his labors, October 1, he says, 



134 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

" My views of the importance of this work 
have not changed since I entered upon it, unless 
it be that I see more clearly its importance and 
admirable adaptation to the wants of the coun- 
try. I have felt repeatedly, during the past 
two months, that I could engage in no work 
more profitable to my own soul. The gratitude 
of many of the dear children of God for the 
visits made them is a sufficient compensation 
for the unpleasant things connected with the 
work ; their thanks and well wishes, which 
often made me feel ashamed of my imperfect 
discharge of duty, evinced the recognition of it 
as labor done for God. 

" The necessity for a general outpouring of 
the Spirit of God has been deeply felt by me, 
and my endeavors to point out the means which 
each should employ to obtain such a blessing, 
have impressed on my own mind the duties I owe 
to my Saviour ; and I return to my studies with 
a fresh motive for watchfulness and prayer. 
My interviews with the impenitent have made 
me feel most deeply the importance of a faith- 
ful and consistent course of conduct before the 
world, and an earnest longing for their conver- 
sion. I regard this work as of no little value 



THE COLPORTEUR. 135 

in prepariDg me for instructing sinners in the 
truths of the Bible, and combating error in its 
multiplicity of forms." 

In the spring of 1849, he received another 
commission from the Society for a longer peri- 
od, and entered upon the same field of labor. 
How his mind was providentially led to this 
work at this time, is set forth in a letter to the 
Secretary of the Society, dated, 

" Darien, Conn., April 18, 1849. 
" Rev. E. S. Cook : 

"Dear Brother — I have just laid down 
your little work on 'Home Evangelization;' 
and influenced by the considerations which it 
urges, I have commenced this sheet. When I 
left you a little more than a week ago, I was, 
as you are aware, undecided as to my duty to 
ask a commission from the Society. My rea- 
sons were, that my last year in college had 
brought upon me a debt, and the salary I would 
receive, should I engage in the Society's ser- 
vice, would only meet that at most. In view 
of this, I was almost disposed to seek some 
other employment, but the perusal of that lit- 
tle work has decided me to offer my services 
to the Committee. I shall consider the dispo- 



136 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

sition you make of my request as the indication 
of the divine will in the matter. It requires 
some faith in the providence of God to come to 
this decision ; and to strengthen the little that 
I have, and to show that His name and charac- 
ter is still c Jehovah Jireh/ a gold piece was 
slipped into my hand yesterday by one who, 
though far from rich in this world's goods, 
desired to contribute her mite to the work of 
completing my course of study. I cannot but 
consider this incident as an intimation that I 
need not concern myself about my pecuniary 
wants. 

"You will therefore have the kindness to 
present my case to the Committee at their next 
meeting. 77 

He entered upon the work at this time pre- 
pared to profit by the experience which he 
had acquired during his previous engagement. 
This is evident from his reasons for keeping a 
daily journal. He says, April 30, 

"The variety of incidents which transpire in 
the course of a few months 7 labor as a colpor- 
teur is so great, and many of them are so in- 
structive, that I have determined to keep, if 



THE COLPORTEUR. 131 

possible, a diary of all that may be of interest. 
I hope also by this means to stimulate myself 
to greater exertions in behalf of the Redeem- 
er's cause." 

" To-day is one of much interest to the inhab- 
itants of Sag Harbor. A whaler has arrived, 
bringing home those who have been absent 
forty-two months. Such occasions are both 
joyful and sorrowful. The captain of this ves- 
sel comes home to find his house desolate. Dur- 
ing his absence his wife has died, and he learn- 
ed this morning for the first time that he is a 
widower. how my heart feels for him. 
Prom this vessel eleven men have been lost — 
five by fever, others by the destruction of boats 
by the whale." 

We shall give but brief extracts from his 
journal, embracing the more interesting inci- 
dents. 

"May 1. In the evening accompanied Mr. 

E the Presbyterian minister to a meeting 

in North district. Spoke a few moments, and 

was cordially recommended by Mr. E to 

the Christian regards of the people." 

"May 2. To-day commenced operations. Vis 



138 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

ited sixteen families, and spoke a few words to 
the unconverted. In the evening I went with 
brother S to his meeting in a district call- 
ed Sagg, where we expect to labor to-morrow. 
Spoke to the people from Psalm 17 : 15. I en- 
joyed some freedom in speaking ; but I do not 
feel all the force of the truths I speak. My 
spirit seems to wear fetters which prevent the 
going out of the soul after God as I desire. 
In my prayers I have some freedom, but it is 
not like venting the pent-up desires of an over- 
flowing heart. Shall I be satisfied with any 
thing short of this ? If I am to bear the glad 
news of salvation to the heathen, I must be 
consumed by the zeal of my Father and his 
house. No half-hearted efforts will be of ser- 
vice there. that I may be absorbed by the 
thoughts of the glorious plan we go to pro- 
claim/ 7 

" May 3. Visited the poor-house. I found 
some who were concerned for their souls. One, 
an old woman, wept at once on my asking her 
if she thought herself a Christian, and replied, 
No. Another, a young man, promised to attend 
to the matter forthwith. May God bless the 
poor creatures. Found to-day the brother of 



THE COLPORTEUR. 139 

a young man to whom I sold FlaveFs Redemp- 
tion two years ago. He says that he would 
not part with it for five dollars, if he could get 
no other. 7 ' 

"May 4. I wish we were in some more des- 
titute field ; but perhaps I should not, for we 
are here, not from choice, but by the direction 
of Providence. I felt glad each time to-day 
when I found myself among the poor ; I am at 
home there. ,; 

" May 5. My visits this morning were among 
those who do not attend the house of God 
statedly; and in conversation with them I 
found profit and pleasure. One woman, who 
is a Catholic, was induced to buy James' Anx- 
ious Inquirer. I think that she is quite open 
to the impression of truth ; prayed with her, 
and was invited to call again." 

" May 13. During the past week I have been 
frequently led to reflect upon the question, Do 
my traits of character as exhibited in the dis- 
charge of my duty as colporteur, meet the ne- 
cessities of the mission work? Sometimes I 
feel discouraged by an ungracious reception, 
and discover a lingering wish that I had not 
engaged in this work. This does not argue 



140 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

very favorably for the mission spirit, and it 
depresses me to see it. Cannot this be reme- 
died ? for remedied it must be, ere I can go out 
successfully. I see but one remedy, and that 
is most effectual — a deep and abiding impres- 
sion of the worth of the soul, its perils, and the 
wonderful love displayed in the provisions of 
grace for its recovery. If I but think properly 
of these, I can sacrifice, and that cheerfully, the 
approving smile of friends, can bear the taunts 
of enemies, and * endure hardness as a good 
soldier of Jesus Christ. 7 I am satisfied that 
one of my weak points is a strong desire for 
the good opinion of those with whom I have 
to do, and as a consequence I suffer much when 
I do not have it. My friends generally seem 
to take the very worst possible course in my 
case. They rarely cross my track, are always 
complaisant, and strongly inclined to flatter. 
Of course when I am not thus met, as must 
often be the case, I am too sensitive. This is 
a state of feeling which I have to overcome, 
and this is one reason for my engaging in my 
present employment ; here all cannot be smiles. 77 
" May 19. Of some twenty families whom I 
visited, only two made purchases, one to the 



THE COLPORTEUR. 141 

amount of eighteen cents, the other of forty 
cents, while I gave away one dollar and fifty 
cents' worth. This looks like very dull work, 
but I have enjoyed it to-day extraordinarily 
well. I devoted much time to the closest con- 
versation on the subject of personal religion, 
and had many good seasons in prayer. The 
people are all fishermen, and there is, I suspect, 
but little real religion among them ; and as a 
consequence, the unconverted are not very anx- 
ious for themselves. With one man I had a 
peculiarly good time. He is no hypocrite, and 
knows his duty just as well as I do, but he will 
not do it. I felt that it did indeed need the 
power of God to reach him. I could weep 
over him. What a sight to see one who knows 
his duty totally impervious to all argument, 
and what a relief to know that there is a power 
which can reach such a heart. I did try to 
plead for him. May God have mercy on him." 
"May 25. A few days ago I was informed 
by a man at whose house I had called, that he 
wanted to see me, as he understood that I was 
a Baptist minister, and he had been waiting 
some time to be baptized. I had some know- 
ledge of him before, as one who had hardly 



142 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

ever attended church, as a semi-Universalist, 
etc. I told him that Baptists believed that 
conversion came before baptism, and to join 
the church he must be able to give some ac- 
count of a work of grace in his heart. This 
seemed to take him all aback, and he said but 
little more about baptism. I found he was no 
Universalist, but came nearer to being a Mor- 
mon. I had a pretty close talk with him, and 
he said he would like to see me longer when 
he had more time. 

" Last night I was somewhat interested in a 
conversation with two young married men. 
They urged a number of the ordinary trifling 
objections to the Bible. One or two I cleared 
up, but told them that I wanted not merely 
the assent of the head, but rather that of the 
heart; and after some exhortation, I prayed 
with them. I felt very much for them, and 
gave them a copy of Nelson on Infidelity, hop- 
ing that they may be led to examine the sub- 
ject." 

" May 29. This is missionary work in min- 
iature." 

" June' 25. My visits from house to house 
teach me the necessity of a deep feeling my- 



THE COLPORTEUR. 143 

self, in order to a proper presentation of the 
truth so as to make others feel. Often the 
flowing tear gives evidence that there is feel- 
ing, and we then pray in faith, but we stay not 
to see the fruit of our labors. We hope, though 
sometimes against hope, that we shall find fruit 
at the last day." 

" July 4. We have had very good success 
in the sale of books, but I do not think that 
my visits have been as profitable in a spiritual 
point of view as they might have been. I have 
too much fear of man. I find that the bold- 
ness which becomes the servant of Christ is 
not in sufficient exercise. Yesterday in conning 
over my reasons for thinking the colporteur 
work very hard, I found that most of them are 
such as I ought to rejoice in. They are such 
as should rather make me feel that I am en- 
gaged in a good work : the trials are in kind, 
though not in degree, such as the Master him- 
self endured. A general apathy on the subject 
of the soul's interest, and a love of the world 
mixed with a great amount of profession, are 
the trials most commonly met with." 

" If one is disposed — and why should I not 
be? — he may learn in this work, patience under 



144 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

trying circumstances, meekness under reproach, 
forbearance with the opposition of others, and 
above all, a knowledge of himself, his weak- 
ness,^ and the crooked devices of human na- 
ture! 7 ' 

" July 20. Pound a young woman sick and 
very much concerned, but not for her soul. 
She feared she would not get well ; she did not 
fear the consequences of death, but death itself. 
I talked to her of the fulness of Christ, and the 
need of looking to him and rejoicing in him 
even in view of death. She wept very much, 
but I fear she was more anxious for health than 
for any thing else." 

" Called on a family consisting of an old man, 
his wife, and daughter ; the latter kept out of 
sight. I talked very closely with each of the 
old people. They are pretty near the borders 
of the grave, and neither expressed a hope. 
After talking a while, the old lady said, ' Well, 
this is the first time that ever any one came to 
our house and talked so to us ; I love to hear 
it.' I prayed with them, read to them two 
tracts and commented on them. On my way 
back, I asked a man whom I met if he were a 
Christian, and finding that he was not, I gave 



THE COLPORTEUR. 145 

him the tract, 'Why are you not a Chris- 
tian r 

" Met with an old man full of Paine's ribald- 
fry. I warned him as solemnly as I could. His 
daughter-in-law, living in the same house, was 
deranged religiously ; she kept saying that she 
was preparing for heaven and immortal glory. 
I gave her a tract to read, to keep her still 
while I talked to a young woman. 

u I expect, from the state of feeling I witness- 
ed here, to be informed of a revival of religion 
ere long. The drought which has been prevail- 
ing here, there having been scarcely any rain 
in two months, is but a symbol of the spiritual 
drought. I have often made use of the former 
to introduce the subject of the latter." 

His commission having expired, he now re- 
turned to the university. From Hamilton, 
August 7, 1849, he thus writes : 

"Dear Father — The time spent on Long 
Island, although of little pecuniary benefit, has 
been by no means lost time. A thorough drill- 
ing in the great doctrines of the Bible has been 
my lot all summer, though I have had less time 
to study the Bible than when here." 

Biddle. 1 



146 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 



CHAPTER VII. 

FAITH AND OBEDIENCE. 

u He that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, ia 
not worthy of me." Matt. 10:38. 

Conscientiousness was characteristic of Mr. 
Biddle. A classmate who knew him well says, 
" He was conscientious almost to a fault, as an 
incident mentioned in one of his letters to me 
will show." The letter referred to is dated 
September 12, 1848. He says, 

" There is one little matter, I should not say 
little, which I ought perhaps here to mention. 
It has given me much anxiety, for I am sensible 
that I did wrong. 

"You recollect that letter I showed you 

purporting to be from some lady in H . I 

left you with the impression that I did not 
know who wrote it. I knew all the while, and 
though intended merely for a piece of sport, it 
was a deception for which I trust I am ashamed, 
and too much so to repeat it. The law of the 
gospel in my opinion requires abstinence even 
from harmless deception, and my conscience 



FAITH AND OBEDIENCE. 147 

has given me, as it should, much anxiety for my 
sin. I hope you will pardon me. Now I be- 
lieve I can ask forgiveness of a higher source." 

This strict regard for right, and an earnest 
endeavor to do right regardless of sacrifices, 
was observable in his whole life. 

Early in his Christian course, and almost at 
the outset of his preparation for the missionary 
work, he had fixed his mind upon a Christian 
friend of whom he indulged the hope that she 
would be for him not only a suitable compan- 
ion in life, but also in the work to which he 
had consecrated himself. 

As to the wisdom of so early an attention to 
this subject, we would say nothing to encourage 
what is so very common in young students for 
the ministerial work, namely, premature engage- 
ments which cannot be honorably broken, how- 
ever unsuitable or undesirable the connection 
may in future appear to be. And yet, as will 
subsequently appear, his attention to this sub- 
ject at this early period was overruled for the 
development of traits of Christian character, 
which show beyond question that the work of 
which he was the subject was indeed of the 
operation of the Spirit of God. 



148 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

Seeking a favorable opportunity, Mr. Biddle 
frankly opened his mind to this friend, present- 
ing the subject in the light of a call to unite 
with him in labor for the salvation of perishing 
heathen, when the providence of God should 
open the way. On this point, as on a pivot, he 
desired the decision of the important question 
to turn. The answer was unfavorable. 

He was disappointed. Keenly did he feel it, 
but he would not murmur, nor for a moment 
indulge the thought of relinquishing the object 
to which he had conscientiously devoted his 
life. 

To save himself from all danger of entangle- 
ment, and with a decision which evidenced him 
to be indeed a good soldier of Jesus Christ, he 
concluded it to be his duty to refrain from all 
communication with his friend. For this step 
the following reasons were assigned. 

" First, my duty to God requires it. Called, 
as I humbly trust, to the work of preaching 
Christ among the heathen, every thing which 
would make me hesitate to obey the call must 
be removed. Our correspondence or communi- 
cation will thus affect me. Whenever I hear 
from you, of course I think of you ; and then 



FAITH AND OBEDIENCE. 149 

I am so weak as to begin to plan for myself 
in the matter, or murmur in my heart at the 
dispensation of God's providence. This must 
not be. 

" Secondly, my duty to the heathen requires it. 
Among them I believe is to be my field ; their 
conversion is to be my aim; to that all my 
energies must bend; and whatever cripples 
those energies, whatever hinders me in the 
least, whatever makes me hesitate, must be 
removed. 

"Again, my soul cannot prosper while unre- 
signed to the will of God; and I cannot be re- 
signed to that will while cherishing any feel- 
ings of regret, which will be so long as we 
communicate our thoughts on any subject to 
each other. This must not be. This latter 
reason includes, and more than includes all the 
others. 

" Hamilton, Oct. 24, 1845." 

Through one of his sisters whose heart was 
also fixed upon the mission work, and who is 
now laboring among the Zulus in Western 
Africa, he learned, some three years after the 
event alluded to above, that an intimate friend 
of the family had been led in the providence of 



150 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

God to consider the question of her personal 
duty to the heathen. 

Having a favorable opinion of her Christian 
character, and being satisfied by a long acquaint- 
ance that in other respects she would be a suit- 
able companion, he considered her consecration 
to the work of missions as a providential indi- 
cation of his duty in the matter; and fully 
assured that "the thing proceeded from the 
Lord/ 7 he embraced an early opportunity to 
open a correspondence on the subject. 

Of this correspondence we shall present only 
those portions which manifest Mr. Biddle's de- 
votion to God, and evidence that his zeal and 
consecration to the cause of missions had not 
abated. In perusing these extracts, the reader 
will be struck with his evident determination 
still to know nothing but Christ and the work 
of missions. He writes : 

"Hamilton, Sept. 9, 1848. 

" Deak My own wishes and happiness 

are considerations vastly inferior to those 
which stand out upon the page of every letter 
from foreign lands, why you should go to the 
heathen. If there be not binding upon you a 
sense of duty, I cannot hope, I cannot wish 



FAITH AND OBEDIENCE. 151 

that you should go. Let the wants of a world 
perishing in sin, some portion of which it is 
your duty doubtless in some way to relieve — let 
the command of the Saviour — let the success 
God has given to the laborers already sent— let 
the love to God and man which I hope and 
trust you know something of, all have their due 
weight in the decision of so important a ques- 
tion. Seek wisdom from above. And let me 
remind you of what you already know, that 
nothing will be so conducive to a correct de- 
cision as a spiritual frame of mind. Without 
this your decision will be made upon incorrect 
views of the wants of the world, and of your 
obligations to Christ. The only time in which 
you can safely decide is when you can say of 
him, * Thou art precious to my soul. ? " 

Having written, Sept. 26, 1848, respecting a 
state of declension and the evidence of a return 
to God, he continues : 

"I intended to speak of the result of the 
change in your spiritual feelings, and to drop 
a suggestion or two which may be worthy of 
consideration ; and as they will be of a differ- 
ent nature from what you. might expect, you 



152 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

will be convinced that there is nothing of self 
in them. 

" Under the influence of the arguments pre- 
sented in Dibble's Thoughts on Missions, which 
you have read, there is great danger of a de- 
cision being made, or at least a strong bias 
given in favor of going, when, after all, it may 
not be duty. Under less influence, probably, 
the sainted Pearce fully believed at one time, 
and almost fully believed for years, that it was 
his duty to go to the East. The conclusion, 
taking his own feelings as arguments, was in- 
evitable ; but God saw fit to disappoint him, for 
he was grievously disappointed in not going. 
Now I wish to suggest to you, as worthy of con- 
sideration, whether your feelings at that time 
were produced under a careful examination of 
both sides of the question. 

" Another suggestion is, Have you examined 
separately the question, whether it were duty 
for females to go at all ? You know it is ques- 
tioned by some. This is important, because 
any female who goes will find many who will 
take strong ground against it ; and what is 
more, will find, sooner or later, when fairly in 
the field, the question presented from within, 



FAITH AND OBEDIENCE. 153 

and then to entertain the thought for the first 
time must be a dreadful thing. I am led to make 
this suggestion by a reperusal, since I wrote 
you, of the sketches in the Judson Offering, and 
while reading them was ready to question the 
propriety of females going at all ; and the 
thought occurred to me, how important to de- 
cide the question now. I imagine that in such 
circumstances as brethren Judson and Price, 
Hough and Wade were placed in, I should re- 
proach myself for having taken any female, 
especially one I loved, to a scene of such trial. 

And you know, dear , that such trials must 

be reckoned in when balancing tne account; 
for there is no certainty that you would not be 
called to undergo them, and even worse. 

"You will readily believe me when I say that 
I make these remarks, not from any desire to 
deter you from a just decision, but from a hope 
that your decision, when made, will be as just 
as I know it will be final." 

" The promise of support is not to those who 
forsake all for any earthly object, but Jesus 
says, 'for my sake, and the gospel's.' No real 
Christian, in a proper frame of mind, would 
ever wish for any other subscription than, 



154 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

1 Yours for Christ's sake f nor could lie dread 
a greater evil than to be the means of inducing 
any one to substitute for it, L Christ's for your 
sake. 7 Follow Christ, and you will be happy 
and useful anywhere. 77 

Congratulating his friend upon the termina- 
tion of a period of painful anxiety respecting 
her duty to the heathen, he writes, 

"Madison University, Dec. 1, 1848. 

" Dear With regard to the various 

exercises of your mind upon this subject, I am 
deeply interested in the details, and feel that I 
also have reason to bless God that the decision 
was made only in casting your all upon Him 
who never disappoints our confidence. 

" I feel that so far as my course in this mat- 
ter is concerned, I have been like the blind led 
by a way which I knew not. Should our union 
be consummated — should we be permitted the 
unspeakable honor and privilege of living, labor- 
ing, and dying among the heathen — should God 
give us to see of the fruit of our labors there, 
how much shall we have occasion to bless his 
name. 

" But Oh, the responsibility ; where shall we 
gain strength to endure it ? Where shall we 



FAITH AND OBEDIENCE. 155 

turn, night and morning, to ask direction? 
Where, but to the Saviour? How desirable 
that from this moment we make a renewed 
consecration of ourselves to Him who gave 
himself for us. 77 

December 16, 1848, he writes, " We have 
committed ourselves to a responsible work, and 
we need all the spiritual preparation we can 
get each day." 

The young friend upon whom his affections 
were now set, and to whom a few years later 
he was united in that bond which death only 
severs, was the same individual from whom, 
more than three years before, he had parted 
because it did not then appear to be her duty 
to labor in heathen lands for the good of souls. 

Writing to her in the spring of 1851, and 
referring to this point, he says, 

"April 8, 1851. 

" Deae C Yes, you are mine and I am 

yours for Christ's sake. Yes, it is for his sake. 
I turned away from you once because I could 
not enjoy you and serve my Master. I have 
wondered that I did so. It was the grace of 
God, not my own goodness, that enabled me to 



156 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

do it. And when I did turn away, neither of 
us had any thought that it was possible that 
we should sustain the relation to each other 
that we now do. God be praised. He brought 
it about by his Spirit for his glory, and I know 
you will unite with me in saying, ■ Let us die, 
or be sundered by half the sphere for life, be- 
fore we make our union subservient to any 
thing inconsistent with our relations to him.' 
My only fear with regard to going East is, lest 
my faith fail. If this does not fail, if my trust 
is unwavering in God, I can endure any thing ; 
but if this be not the case, what shall I do ? 
This is my burden, and I will cast it on the 
Lord. I have no hope aside from him. This 
is a sweet thought, ' Ye are not your own.' 
Our Owner will take care of his property, our 
Father of his children, our Saviour of his re- 
deemed, our Sealer of his sealed." 



THE MISSION WORK. 157 



CHAPTER VIII. 



THE MISSION WORK. 

u Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every 
creature. 77 Mark 16 : 15. 

" The romance of missions has faded away. 
I think I know, as well as one can know with- 
out experience, what an undertaking it is to go 
as a missionary ; but I believe it is my duty, 
and now, as ever, my convictions amount to 
this, and no more. 77 

Thus wrote Mr. Biddle at the close of a nar- 
rative of his experience respecting the mission 
work. The condition of the heathen, and the 
desire to labor for their salvation, had occupied 
his mind, as he tells us, " for full half of his 
life. 77 The subject was always in his thoughts, 
yet at particular times his attention was espe- 
cially directed to the particular locality in 
which he might be called to spend the remain- 
der of his days. His courage and faith were 
strengthened and increased by visits to the 
cross, and by communings with his blessed 
Saviour. The love of Christ constrained him, 



]58 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

and because the Saviour had sacrificed so much 
for him, he was now willing to sacrifice all for 
his blessed Saviour. 

That this may more prominently appear, we 
have gathered from the later portions of his 
correspondence those parts which refer more 
particularly to this subject, and present them 
in this chapter. A deep sense of the difficulties 
to be encountered, and of the responsibility of 
the work, rested upon his mind, and he ever 
felt that it was only by God's grace that he 
could hope to be sustained in the prosecution 
of it. Though the prospect was, humanly speak- 
ing, dark and forbidding, yet he knew that 
" there is no restraint to the Lord to save by 
many or by few. 77 And in the strength of the 
Lord he pursued his course. 

" Madison University, July 15, 1848. 

"Dear Father — The rapidity with which 
time passes makes me think much of the im- 
portance of heart preparation for the great 
work of preaching Christ to the heathen. The 
magnitude of the work is, I think, each month 
more deeply impressed upon my mind, for I get 
more accurate views of the difficulties which 
attend such a course. I do not wonder that the 



THE MISSION WORK 159 

apostle cried out, ' Who is sufficient for these 
things? 7 The recent intelligence from the East, 
though of itself forbidding, is nothing in com- 
parison with the internal trials which the mis- 
sionary must undergo. Temptations which are 
by no means insignificant here, there are much 
magnified ; for the means of grace, the restrain- 
ing, strengthening influence of the society of 
experienced Christians are almost unknown, 
and trials peculiar to the missionary are super- 
added to all these. The death of brother Clark, 
and Mr. and Mrs. James, the return of brother 
Jencks, and the rumor of Dr. Judson's return, 
and also brother M. Bronson's, conspire to 
make the prospect very dark. But one thing 
is encouraging, some others are willing to go. 
The Board hope to send out six missionaries 
with their wives this year." 

"September 29, 1848. 
"I often try to imagine myself sitting in 
some eastern dwelling, and writing to or read- 
ing letters from my friends ; or more frequent- 
ly, endeavoring to perform the active duties of 
missionary life, and try to conceive how I shall 
feel under all the trials which must fall to my 
lot as a missionary. I think that I can endure 



160 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

them with patience, if I can but have the assur- 
ance that I am in the path of duty. But these 
hopes are all given to the winds when I reflect 
that under the very favorable circumstances in 
which I am placed now, I can feel no more 
consecration to God, and submission to the 
divine will. If Satan has the advantage over 
me under these circumstances, how much more 
will he when I dwell where his seat is ? 

" As the time draws near — for three or four 
years will pass very quickly — I feel the impor- 
tance of a thorough revival of the work of God 
in my heart, and I shall be thankful for any 
means which God sees fit to employ for the 
accomplishment of this end." 

His sister, of whom mention has already been 
made, was now married to Rev. Andrew Abra- 
ham, and they were expecting soon to sail for 
Africa as missionaries under the care of the 
American Board of Commissioners for Foreign 
Missions. Respecting them he writes, 

" Hamilton, Jan. 16, 1849. 
" Dear Father — They both seemed to be in 
very good spirits, and glad to see us. Yet I 
know they have, they must have many anxie- 



THE MISSION WORK. 161 

ties ; dangers and trials for the sake of Christ 
are not far off, and a few weeks must make a 
vast difference in their prospects. We may 
[talk and think of these trials at the distance of 
years, but when they are brought within the 
compass of a few months or weeks, then there 
is a trial of faith. I have often wondered why 
I never felt any reluctance to go as a mission- 
ary since the question of duty was settled; 
indeed, it has been a cause of anxiety to me 
that I always felt so willing to go. I feared 
that I did not realize the sacrifices involved in 
it, and yet I think I looked at it under the 
most favorable circumstances to obtain light. 
All trouble on this score, however, is passing 
away, and every month brings a heavier weight 
upon my mind. I am viewing the work more 
nearly. Although I harbor no thoughts of stay- 
ing here, yet by the extension of my acquaint- 
ance I hear much concerning settlements here 
and there, and the vision of a pleasant pastor- 
ate and an affectionate people compels me to 
contrast my future lot with that of thousands 
in our own land, and thus I see something more 
of its privations than I used to. But there are 
many other things of far greater importance 

BiJdie. 1 1 



162 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

which contribute to the same result. As my 
knowledge of man increases, I appreciate more 
and more the difficulties with which the mis- 
sionary has to contend in battling with sin and 
error in its worst forms. Then too I think I 
see more of my own ignorance, and certainly 
more of my own moral delinquencies. And 
can I do otherwise than say, as well as feel, 
1 Who is sufficient for these things V " 

His feelings on parting with his sister, who, 
not long after the interview referred to above, 
sailed for her distant field of labor, are beauti- 
fully expressed in the following lines written 
to be read by her when far at sea. He re- 
marks of them, " They aspire to be nothing 
more than an expression of affection." 

"TO MY MISSIONARY SISTER. 

" And meet we no more ? Are those pleasures all o'er 

Only known when each other we see ? 
Shall affection's fond smile, which doth sad thoughts 
beguile, 

Never more pass between me and thee ? 

Has the last glance been given, which on this side of 
heaven 

May bespeak our strong love for each other ? 
Can my eye never move to catch thine, full of love, 

My sister's fond love for her brother ? 



THE MISSION WORK. 163 

May that sister's sweet kiss never heighten my bliss 
When I greet the dear inmates of home ? 

Or invite me to stay, as I hasten away 
Full of hope for the pleasures to come ? 

Will that voice ever dear never more greet my ear 
Till we pass the dark land of the grave ? 

Must its accents be drowned in the tempest's wild 
sound, 
A.s it sweeps o'er the land and the wave ? 

Ah yes, they are o'er, I shall know them no more ; 

These pleasures, dear sister, are past, 
And the tear fills my eye, while my heart heaves a sigh 

At the thought that I Ve tasted the last. 

Yes, sundered are we, and the billowy sea 

Between us will constantly roll ; 
Yet oft we shall meet, and our union be sweet — 

We 're united, my sister, in soul." 

To his intended companion, he writes, 

" Madison University, Jan. 10, 1850. 

" Dear C 1 do not contemplate the 

work in which we are to engage without many 
anxious fears ; and the nearer the time of my 
departure from this place comes, the more do I 
experience the feeling of which brother Dean 
spoke when he said, ' I feel as if I were going 
down into the deep dark tomb.' 

" Such feelings must arise when we get a 



164 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

clear and correct view of the position which 
we are to occupy. But we can afford to expe- 
rience this when it is done from love to souls. 
When Christ came to our world, it was beyond 
all doubt to him an undertaking indescribably 
more repulsive than any thing of which we can 
have any conception ; but he said, 1 1 delight to 
do thy will.' I trust I can say the same. I 
desire to be wholly consecrated to the service 
of Christ." 

" March 1, 1850. 

" Brother Moore, of the Arracan mission, has 
lost his wife and child. Mrs. Moore was one 
of my pupils in the academy here, and promised 
considerable usefulness. Cut down so soon! 
That Arracan coast is as fatal to females as 
Africa. 

" These things cause me some anxiety ; but be 
the draught ever so bitter, if it be necessary, I 
hope to be able to say, c Thy will be done.' " 

" March 9, 1850. 

"Brother Ward says the Board send with 
him to Assam brother Whiting of Newton, and 
they have in prospect some one from Ohio to 
join brother Dean at Hong Kong. The next 
mission to be reinforced is Bangkok. Brother 



THE MISSION WORK. 165 

Goddard's departure to Ningpo has left the 
Chinese department vacant. This is to be filled. 
Next, West Africa is to have two men ; then 
the Teloogoo mission one. I suppose no other 
appointments may be looked for till next year, 
so we may be assigned to either of these fields. 
I confess that to me each of these fields has 
some dark spots; and this consideration has 
led me to feel more than usual the self-denial 
of the missionary life, and to throw myself 
more upon the wisdom and goodness of God 
for support. 

11 They are all of deep interest, so far as the 
numbers to whom the gospel is to be preached 
are concerned. At Bangkok the climate is 
confessedly deleterious. Mrs. Dean died be- 
fore reaching there, brother Reed in less than 
two years after arriving, Mr. Jones in five 
years after going there, brother Slafter in less 
than three, and Mr. and Mrs. Davenport re- 
tired, unable to endure the climate. Now you 
have the prospect before you ; are you prepared 
for the sacrifice ? Here is an ample field, and 
a good prospect of success. This spot was 
included in the great commission. I strongly 
suspect we shall have this for our future home. 



166 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

" But look at the Bassa mission. At present 
it is destitute of white teachers. All the males 
have died, and the females have returned to 
this country. Every one knows the fatality of 
this mission, but God has certainly blessed it. 
This possibly may be our place. The Teloogoo 
mission is on many accounts desirable. It is 
located among an immense native population, 
and a large number of Europeans. 

" The realities of life are beginning to press 
upon us both, and while we must expect rough 
weather as well as fair, we may be assured that 
God will, if we are his, fully protect us." 

"June 19, 1850. 

" This week we expect to take leave of our 
brother Ward. It devolves on me to address 
him a few words at parting. When I reflect 
that my turn may be next, I wonder that God 
has put it into my heart, unworthy as I am, to 
go to the heathen. Why not send better men ? 
Why not call some more suitable instrument ? 
But then God's thoughts are not our thoughts, 
nor his ways our ways. He may find some 
place which is too small for a better man, and 
put me in there. If so, it will be right. God 
fit us for the work. 77 



THE MISSION WORK. 16? 

" July 18, 1850. 

" How delightful it will be, when we first 
acquire the language, to tell some poor igno- 
rant soul, who never heard it before, the way of 
life, and thus to proclaim, even though it be in 
unwilling ears, the news of salvation through 
the blood of the Lamb. 77 

" Madison University, Nov. 10, 1850. 

"Dear Father — I am expecting the Secre- 
tary from Boston here, either this or next week, 
and shall, in case he comes, have a definite opin- 
ion as to what I may expect. He wrote me 
about a week or ten days since, making inqui- 
ries. And now the time draws near when, if 
at all, I shall be called upon to pledge myself 
for foreign service — a life-long toilsome ser- 
vice. I have witnessed, on three or four occa- 
sions since I have been here, the anxieties and 
struggles of my brethren when they came to 
this point. Some have stood like brave sol- 
diers, others have retreated. May God enable 
me to do his will. I had a foretaste of what it 
will cost me to part with friends, when the 
other day I took a last farewell, in all proba- 
bility, of three dear brethren who have been 
for years members with me of the Eastern As- 



168 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

sociation. They go to Rochester, and I stay 
here. It was surprising to me how strong my 
attachment to them was ; we prayed and wept 
and sung together, and parted probably never 
to meet again, unless it be in heathen lands. 
And thus I hope to be called to leave all my 
other dear friends ere long. I hope so, because 
I do not wish to live here, so long as there is 
so much need of service abroad. God, who 
knoweth the heart, knows that I would for no 
other reason leave this dear land; but most 
emphatically should I feel the woe, if I suffered 
the ties which bind me to my dear parents, 
brothers, and sisters, and loving friends, to de- 
tain me." 

" Madison University, Jan. 23, 1851. 

" My dear C Last Lord's-day evening, 

being alone, I sat down and in a cursory man- 
ner drew off a narrative of my experience on 
the subject of becoming a missionary, from my 
earliest recollections to the present time. I 
find that it has been a theme of the first im- 
portance for full half of my life, and my read- 
ing has been more extensive upon that subject 
than upon any other. Yet, if we are permitted 
to go, I shall have many things to learn, of 



THE MISSION WOEK. 169 

which I could have but little idea here. Friends 
are precious jewels, as you say, but Christ is 
much more precious ; and if any man forsake 
father or mother, or wife or children, or lands, 
for Christ, we have the promise that even here 
he shall receive a hundred-fold. It must 
not, however, be done with reference to the 
reward, but simply for Christ's sake. The 
very thought that it is done for Christ, of itself 
produces delight. See the case of Mrs. Corn- 
stock parting with her children. She found 
consolation in that which she expressed as she 
gave them up : ' All this for the blessed Jesus. ' " 

Referring to an anticipated meeting with the 
missionary committee at Boston, with a view 
to an appointment in the missionary service, he 
writes, March 17, 1851, 

"Dear Father — So at last the question is 
about settled that I go this fall. And I can 
assure you, dear father, the knowledge of this 
fact makes me feel as if I were in a new state 
of things ; perhaps it would be as well express- 
ed, should I say I feel as though I were five or 
ten years older than this time last week. It 
seems but a few days, in looking over the 
weeks which are to elapse, ere I bid all good- 



170 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

by for this world — a few days, before I take 
upon me responsibilities which throw all I have 
yet borne into the shade. I have much to do 
in internal as well as external preparation for 
the work. I do not regret that I have had my 
mind upon it for so long a time. I feel that it 
has in a certain measure prepared me for the 
work. But notwithstanding the anxiety it 
occasions me, I feel a great peace. I have no 
doubt which makes me uneasy. I think if I 
ever sought the direction of God, I have done 
so in this matter. For nearly ten years it has 
been a prayer which scarcely has been omitted 
a single day, 'Lord, what shall I do in this 
matter ?' I see defects which will impair my 
usefulness, but I cannot make them excuses for 
not going. I think I can leave the whole mat- 
ter of future life unhesitatingly in the hands of 
God." 

Eeturning from Boston, he thus writes to his 

father : 

" Steamer Bay State, May 6, 1851. 

"Well, the great matter is decided. Ten 

years, or nearly so, of anxious expectation have 

passed, and I am to go to the heathen in a few 

months, and spend my days in the laborious 



THE MISSION WORK. 171 

but honored work of winning souls to Christ. 
May He who fed Elijah, and accompanied the 
three Hebrew youths in the furnace, go with 
us. I can do all things through Christ, which 
strengthened rue." 

" Madison University, June 2, 1851. 

"Dear Father and Mother — I shall not 
often write you hereafter from this beloved 
spot ; my time here is measured out, and I feel 
it very forcibly. I begin to make my arrange- 
ments to leave. I shall soon, very soon take 
my last look of the beautiful amphitheatre of 
hills, and the neat little village 'set down so 
snug the hills among. ; I used to think I should 
feel very sadly at the prospect of doing so ; 
but although I shall in all probability shed 
some tears when the parting moment comes, at 
the present I feel quite anxious to have that 
moment come. I feel anxious to be on my way 
to India ; not that I am tired of this place, or 
home, or arfy other place, but I feel an irresisti- 
ble longing for the work. I feel that I am no 
longer a citizen of this goodly land. India is 
my home ; there I am to be permitted, as I 
hope, to live a few years, and probably there 
to take my last look of earth, and those who 



112 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

shall have shared with me its toils and cares 
and joys. 

" Here I think at present my desires centre. 
May I and my dear companion be fitted for our 
work. This implies a good deal. 

" Pitted in physical concerns. We need each 
of us the kind watch-care and preservation God 
only can bestow. We may early fall victims 
to the climate, but I do not really anticipate 
any such result. I want health, that we may 
do much. 

"Pitted mentally. I feel weak h£re, where 
the cool winds and invigorating air keep cool 
and quiet my brain ; how then shall I be able to 
toil intellectually under a burning sun and an 
enervating, stupefying climate? We shall need 
this blessing. 

" Pitted spiritually. We both of us feel, and I 
thank God it is so — we both of us feel the need 
of a deeper interest in the salvation of the 
soul, and the great plan of redemption through 
Christ. We want to know more of these things, 
and to feel more. 

" For my part I feel isolated, alone ; not very 
painfully so, but solemnly alone. Who, I often 
think, feels as I do? My former associates 



THE MISSION WORK. 173 

here are mostly gone, and I am no longer asso- 
ciated familiarly with the students. They look 
up to me, and this is not what I have been 
accustomed to. They expect probably, that as 
I am now an accepted missionary, I feel less 
interest in their plans and employments than I 
used to. Well, 'tis somewhat so in the last 
particular. My thoughts are undoubtedly di- 
vided between America and India. I question 
very much whether I could be happy here for 
another year. But I am not melancholy, far, 
far from that. I enjoy my duties, and I take 
real pleasure in amusing Professor Beebe's 
sweet little baby about meal-times. ,? 

7 T is true, he felt himself no longer a citizen 
of this goodly land. His home was elsewhere — 
where, we are touchingly informed in the fol- 
lowing lines written by him while on a visit to 
a friend, a very short time previous to his ex- 
pected departure to his " future home." 

" We had a home, but now no more 
Is home upon Columbia's shore : 
Those who our future home would see, 
Must cross with us the billowy sea. 
We, lingering, pause a while, 'tis true, 
As though our home were still with you : 



174 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

But 't is not so — with time has flown 
The right to call this rest our own. 
We heard a voice — its accents stole 
Down to the chambers of our soul ; 
And echoing there a hallowed name, 
We doubted not from whence it came : 
It spoke of love beyond the ken 
As much of angels as of men — 
Love which its best Beloved gave, 
Not friends, but enemies to save. 
When ceased, all melted by its strain, 
Yows long since made were made again : 
Then fell again> distinct and clear, 
Its accents on our listening ear : 
' Depart to Gentile lands far hence, 
And call my sons and daughters thence : 
My boundless love shall be your plea ; 
The sweet constraint, your love to me.' 
What then was home, however sweet? 
What all things, viewed from Jesus' feet? 
A taper's faint and sickly ray, 
Lost in the clear, broad light of day. 
Hence, 't is no home we have to-day, 
In distant lands our vows we pay ; 
Hence, those who our dear home would see, 
Must dare with us the billowy sea." 

EARLY DECISION OF DUTY TO THE HEATHEN. 

Mr. Biddle's consecration to the work of 
missions was made early in life. He after- 
wards felt that this was to him an advantage 



THE MISSION WORK. 115 

in preparing for the service. In an essay on 
" Indications of Personal Duty to the Heathen," 
prepared for the Eastern Association con- 
nected with the university, he specially urges 
an early decision of the question. We quote 
the material portions of the essay relating to 
this subject. He says : 

" There have been probably but few students 
for the ministry, in whose mind the inquiry has 
not arisen, t Is it not my duty to preach the 
gospel in some foreign land? 7 And there is 
perhaps, among students, no question more fre- 
quently decided by default. Examination and 
decision are deferred repeatedly and indefi- 
nitely, until delay has rendered it no longer a 
question, or some desirable location at home 
puts an end to all indecision. 

" That such a course is hostile to the best inter- 
ests of the heathen, is too evident to need proof. 

" There is an opinion prevalent, constantly 
seducing others to the same course, that the 
indications of personal duty to the heathen 
are not legible until near the close of one's 
course of study, and consequently that an early 
decision to become a missionary cannot be con- 
sistently made. 



176 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

" The advice given by many is, ' Hold your 
mind unbiassed in regard to the home or 
foreign field, until about to enter upon the 
active duties of the ministry. The uncertainty 
of external circumstances renders it impossible 
to determine duty at such a distance of time ; 
and the years of a college course and the ear- 
lier years in the theological seminary are 
needed to acquire the knowledge necessary to 
an advised decision. The maturity of mind 
attained also will render the close of the course 
a more suitable season for such a decision; 
and besides, early decisions often prove of no 
avail.' " 

Having considered the above advice as pre- 
senting so many objections, and having answer- 
ed them satisfactorily, he continues : 

" But it is desirable to present some reasons 
why an early decision should be made. We 
need hardly say that he who passes his college 
course in uncertainty whether the knowledge 
he acquires will be employed in the investiga- 
tion of the principles of law, in judging of the 
nature and remedies of disease, in teaching the 
sciences, or instructing men in their duties to 
God, passes his time to disadvantage, no mat- 



THE MISSION WORK. 177 

ter what his abilities may be. He is unable to 
avail himself of any course which may contrib- 
ute specially to prepare him for the peculiar 
station he is to occupy. Thus is it, in some 
degree, with the individual who is undecided 
respecting his duty to the heathen. But hav- 
ing devoted himself to the mission work, sub- 
jects which by others may be deferred to some 
future period, will receive his special attention 
at once; and other subjects which have no 
special interest to one who stays at home, will 
be carefully examined by him. In fact, he 
will view many things from a very different 
stand-point than that from which they are 
viewed by others. 

" A natural, though not necessary result of 
an early decision, will be a strengthening of 
faith in God. In missionary life this is a grace 
upon which special draughts are made. And 
he who becomes familiar with the history of 
missions, will not only find aliment for faith in 
the remarkable displays of God's special provi- 
dence, but if he contemplates engaging in the 
work, he will be led to feel the need of special 
preparations of heart to meet the trials to 
which he will be exposed. The fact that he is 

Piddle. 12 



1?8 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

pledged to the work will be a constant stimu- 
lus to devotion and faith. 

" An early decision will prepare one to be 
of more service to the mission cause while at 
home. A person who has decided that God 
has called him to the work of foreign missions, 
is certainly better prepared to urge upon his 
brethren the consideration of the claims which 
the heathen have upon them, than he who is 
halting between two opinions. The fact that 
they had themselves decided what they should 
do if Providence permitted, gave efficiency to 
the appeals made to their brethren by those 
young men who were wont to meet on the 
banks of the Hoosack for prayerful consulta- 
tion on their duty in this matter. And the 
same fact gave to the early members of this 
association an influence in favor of missions in 
our own institution, not wholly lost to this 
day. 

" It also strengthens a man for his work. To 
reflect, when under trial, that the decision was 
deliberately made under the most favorable 
circumstances, and that in after-years, under 
many temptations to reversion, it was fre- 
quently reviewed and still adhered to, will be 



THE MISSION WORK. 179 

a priceless support — a support entirely want- 
ing to him who is conscious of having decided 
the question under the agitation attendant 
upon the knowledge that when once made, it 
was to be immediately executed and irrevo- 
cable. 

" Nor will it be any disadvantage if, as some- 
times will be the case, one has reason to revoke 
the early decision. He will be better prepared 
to do the home-work necessary for the mission 
cause ; and he who has become thoroughly im- 
bued with the missionary spirit will find it no 
little aid in pastoral labors. We might point, 
for example, to some who were once members 
of this association, but we will only refer to the 
lives of Samuel J. Mills and Samuel Pearce. 

" The nature of the work is such that we 
might expect from God such indications of his 
will as would lead to an early decision. Hence, 
when asked, 'Why not make, on the ground 
of the advantage to be derived, an early de- 
cision with regard to the particular field of 
labor in this country V we reply, ' The cases are 
widely different. To settle in any portion of 
our country does not involve a final separation 
from friends; to go to the East does. Nor 



180 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

does it involve the spending of one's life in a 
manner almost wholly different from previously 
formed habits ; to go to the East does. This is 
true of associates, language, and religious privi- 
leges." 

Having considered at some length the differ- 
ence between the two cases, he proceeds : 

" When the Saviour sent out the twelve to 
labor in Palestine, we have no intimation, nor 
is there reason to suppose that notice was given 
long beforehand ; but when they were commis- 
sioned to take the world for their field, it was 
months, at least, before they were required to 
go abroad ; and that period included a season 
in which they were miraculously endowed with 
power from on high. 

" When the seventy were sent, the case was 
the same as in the first mission of the twelve. 
But when Paul was called to preach among the 
Gentiles, God gave him at least three years' 
notice before calling on the church at Antioch 
to set him apart to the work. 

" An early decision is actually required, from 
the fact that Christ has so commissioned us 
that the question is properly, not, What indi- 
cations aro there in favor of going ? but, What 



THE MISSION WORK. 181 

in favor of staying? Notice these undeniable 
facts : God has called us into the ministry of 
his Son ; it is the ministry of reconciliation, 
the ministry in which the twelve apostles were 
engaged, a ministry not confined to any part 
of the habitable globe. Its sole object is to 
bring men to God ; an object equally concern- 
ing the eternal interests of the Laplander and 
Hottentot, the Indian and the Malay, the culti- 
vated European and the well-nigh imbruted 
New Hollander. Notice too the fact, that with 
but one or two exceptions, there is not a coun- 
try on the globe which has any thing like the 
light which we enjoy. The disproportion be- 
tween the work to be accomplished abroad, 
and the means for doing it, is so great as to 
overwhelm any thing but faith; while here, 
most of the population, if they desire it, have 
access to the means of grace. 

" Is there not then reason to believe that the 
indications that God has called one to the min- 
istry at all, are indications that he has called 
him to go abroad, unless special reasons can be 
shown to the contrary ?" 

That his own devotion to the work of foreign 
missions was in obedience to the command of 



182 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

Christ, and that his hope of support and suc- 
cess rested alone upon the Saviour's promise, 
" Lo, I am with you," is evident in all that he 
said and wrote upon the subject. His views 
on this point are clearly and forcibly presented 
in the address which he delivered at his grad- 
uation from the theological department of Madi- 
son university, August 20, 1851, on 

"THE ENCOURAGEMENTS TO SPREAD THE 
GOSPEL 

" The foundation of all our obligations is the 
will of God. If he command, cheerful obedi- 
ence is our duty. Nor, in deciding that ques- 
tion, have we a right to inquire whether suc- 
cess will or will not attend. 

"If then the encouragements which God 
vouchsafes supplant his commands by exerting 
a stronger influence than they, there is evi- 
dence of an alarming defect in our motives, and 
consequently in our moral character. What 
is true in this respect of individuals, is true 
also of that body of believers denominated by 
way of convenience the Christian church. 

" In the work of spreading the gospel, the 
energies of the church are without doubt be- 



THE MISSION WORK. 183 

coming more and more enlisted ; but the con- 
viction has been repeatedly forced upon us, that 
there is also a growing tendency to make the 
encouragements to the work the sole argu- 
ments for its prosecution. Efforts made under 
such circumstances are not necessarily unsuc- 
cessful ; but such is the sacrifice of principle 
involved, that every member of the body of 
Christ may well tremble. If unexercised, the 
feelings of duty arising from the command be- 
coming weaker and weaker, then follows what, 
there is reason to fear, we have already — the 
spectacle of an active and growing church giv- 
ing tokens of a general decline in faith and 
self-denial. Such is an abuse of the encourage- 
ments which God has given ; but they have a 
wise design, and are exerting their legitimate 
influence only when conducing to that design. 

"A heart willingly engaged in this work 
may be a sad one; these encouragements are 
to cheer and gladden such a heart : they can- 
not furnish the basis of obligation, but they 
may make that obligation more manifest. Our 
sense of duty to God increases with our per- 
ception of the perfection of his nature and 
character. His promises to give success to the 



184 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

gospel when faithfully preached, and the fulfil- 
ment of those promises, throw new light on his 
wisdom, power, and love, and paint in more 
vivid colors the perfections of his character, 
and thus strengthen our sense of obligation to 
obey. 

"These encouragements also make it evi- 
dent that we are bound to spread the gospel, 
because it will do good to our neighbors : thus 
the command, ' Thou shalt love thy neighbor as 
thyself/ combines its influence with that already 
given. We need to be cheered in this great 
and arduous work. We need to be more fully 
sensible of our obligation to obey our Master's 
great command. We need also to know how 
the commands of God combine to urge us for- 
ward. The nature and extent of these encour- 
agements are therefore well worthy of our con- 
sideration. 

"When the disciples withdrew their eyes 
from the cloud overhanging Olivet, which had 
wrapped their Master's ascending form, they 
could hardly fail to reflect upon the extent of 
the commission he had just given them. The 
words were, • all the world/ ' all nations, 7 ' every 
creature.' " 



THE MISSION WORK. 185 

Referring to the triumphs of the gospel from 
the Saviour's time to the present, and haying 
shown that it was through the "foolishness of 
preaching, n and the active zeal and devoted 
labors of Christ's servants, aided by the Holy 
Spirit, that their victories were won, he con- 
tinues : 

"It must not be forgotten that almost all 
these triumphs have been gradual, and to many 
who were honored in aiding in them they were 
almost imperceptible ; but like strokes of the 
battering ram of Titus against the walls of 
Jerusalem, though long apparently ineffective, 
the result showed that no part of tne labor had 
been in vain. From this we have also strong 
ground for encouragement, since we may depend 
upon it that the fruits of the labors of many 
years already gone by are yet to become man- 
ifest. 

" Do any ask then, What encouragement does 
the history of the past afford? I tell them 
that it has for many long years been crying 
out, with a voice ever waxing louder and louder 
as the tokens of success become more and more 
apparent, ' Go ye into all the world, and preach 
the gospel to every creature/ 



186 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

" But the encouragements derived from the 
adaptation of the gospel to the wants of the 
world, and from its success, were never the 
only supports of the heralds of the glorious 
gospel. They were preceded by the promise of 
God, and that has been their chief support. 
Other encouragements were mighty, but this 
was mightier far than they. The promise of 
God ! Who can estimate the resources brought 
to bear upon its fulfilment ? His perfect wis- 
dom, power, integrity, and love, are all en- 
gaged in accomplishing it. Hath he said, and 
shall he not do it? Hath he spoken, and shall 
he not make it good? The heavens shall pass 
away, together with our earth, but one jot or 
tittle of all He has spoken shall in no wise 
fail. 

" Turn to the record of His holy purposes 
and read, ' All the ends of the earth shall re- 
member and turn unto the Lord ; and all the 
kindreds of the nations shall worship before 
thee. ; Psa. 22:27. 'And in that day there 
shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for 
an ensign of the people, and to it shall the 
Gentiles seek ; and his rest shall be glorious. 7 
Isa. 11 :10. 'For from the rising of the sun 



THE MISSION WORK. 18? 

even unto the going down of the same, my name 
shall be great among the Gentiles ; and in 
every place incense shall be offered unto my 
name, and a pure offering : for my name shall 
be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of 
hosts.' Mai. 1:11. 'And it shall come to 
pass in the last days, that the mountain of the 
Lord's house shall be established in the top of 
the mountains, and shall be exalted above the 
hills ; and all nations shall flow unto it.' Isa. 
2:2. 

" Such are the encouragements to all en- 
gaged in spreading the gospel. It is wisely 
designed and adapted to the wants of the world. 
It has already triumphed gloriously, and God 
has declared that it shall be widely spread and 
as widely received. 

"In view of these encouragements, he who 
gives and labors and prays for the success of 
the gospel, may do so with a cheerful and 
thankful heart, until he is called to exchange 
giving for receiving, labor for rest, prayer for 
praise. 

" The missionary of the cross may stand up 
in all the vigor of youth, and joyfully proclaim 
his unequalled message of love ; he may do the 



188 WILLIAM T. B1DDLE. 

same when the burning sun of a tropical clime 
shall have enervated his wasting strength ; he 
may cheerfully continue the same work when 
a premature old age shall be rapidly furrowing 
his brow ; aye, and upon the bed of death, in 
view of these encouragements, so ample, so 
complete, he may exclaim, with an overflowing 
heart, ' It is enough.' " 



THE DEPARTURE. 189 



CHAPTER IX. 



THE DEPARTURE. 



u Depart; for I will send thee far hence unto the Gen- 
tiles/' Acts 22 :21. 

" The time of my departure is at hand." 2 Tim. 4 : 6. 

Mr. Biddle's preparatory course was now 
completed, and all that remained for him was 
to be in readiness for his departure. 

At the commencement of the vacation he 
visited his friends in Brookfield, Conn., where 
his father was settled as pastor, and in New 
York city, where he was sincerely beloved by 
all who knew him. On Wednesday, August 
13, 1851, he was ordained in the Berean church, 
New York, to the work of the gospel ministry ; 
and on the following day he was married, in 
the same place, by his father, to the young 
Christian friend upon whom his tenderest affec- 
tions had been early placed. On the follow- 
ing Wednesday, with his friend and colaborer 
in the colporteur work of previous years, he 
graduated from the theological department of 
Madison university. On the next day, with 



190 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

his companion, he was designated, with appro- 
priate services, as a "missionary preacher' 7 to 
the Pwo Karens in Burmah. During the same 
week he presented, in a few extemporaneous 
remarks, his fraternal farewell to the brethren 
of the " Eastern Missionary Association," with 
whom he had been so long connected. 

On the next Lord's-day morning, after a 
most interesting missionary discourse by Mr. 
Haswell of the Maulmain mission, who was at 
that time on a visit to this country, he admin- 
istered the ordinance of baptism, for the first 
and only time, to two young Christian sisters, 
members of his Bible-class, whom by God's 
grace he had been the means of leading to 
Christ ; and in the afternoon he gave to them 
both, in behalf of the church, the right hand of 
fellowship. 

By this token of the divine favor and bless- 
ing his heart was greatly cheered. Nor could 
he now doubt that the Lord would be true to 
his promise, " Lo, I am with you alway, even 
unto the end of the world." 

On Thursday he bid farewell to friends with 
whom he had often " taken sweet counsel," and 
to scenes endeared by many delightful associ- 



THE DEPARTURE. 191 

ations. On Saturday he arrived with his com- 
panion in the city of New York, and during 
his stay made his home with his former pastor, 
Dr. Dowling. On Sabbath evening, September 
6th, he preached his last sermon to the Berean 
church, of which he had long been a member, 
fromHeb. 12 : 1, 2 : " Wherefore, seeing we also 
are compassed about with so great a cloud of 
witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and 
the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let 
us run with patience the race that is set before 
us, looking unto Jesus." 

And now, with the energy and zeal of one 
conscious that he was engaged in the Master's 
work, he prepared, by laying in stores and 
making other arrangements for the voyage, to 
join the veteran corps already upon the mission 
field. But upon that work he never entered ; 
the Master would take him to himself. 

An interesting narrative of the circumstances 
attending his sudden sickness and triumphant 
death, is furnished by Dr. Dowling. Of this 
narrative we here give the substance. 

" On Friday evening, September 12th, he first 
complained of slight indisposition, after a day 
of most exhausting toil, spent in making vari- 



192 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

ous purchases. This, however, appeared at 
first to be but a slight and temporary illness, 
which he would hardly have mentioned, but as 
a reason why he thought it prudent to decline 
an engagement to supply a neighboring pulpit 
on the coming Lord's day. 

" On Saturday he complained of soreness in 
the throat, and difficulty in swallowing. On 
Sunday, his physician pronounced the disease 
to be putrid sore throat, but gave no intima- 
tions of approaching danger. On Monday 
evening the disease assumed a more serious 
aspect. In the middle of the night he was 
seized with a difficulty of breathing, and for a 
few moments seemed to be in great distress. 
It was caused by a gathering of phlegm in his 
throat, upon discharging which he obtained 
immediate relief. In allusion to this attack he 
wrote on a slip of paper the next morning, 
being unable to use his voice in conversation, 
1 I never knew what it was to be sick before, 
having never been sick since nine years of age. 
I shall learn a lesson of sympathy. Last night 
I did not see but that I must cease in a few 
minutes to breathe, but I felt no anxiety.' 

" Being told on Tuesday morning that the 



THE DEPARTURE. 193 

doctor thought him a very sick man, he replied, 
! Well, I have cast myself upon God. If ever 
a poor creature did so, I have done it. What- 
ever I have done that is good I cast it all away, 
and depend entirely on the free grace of Christ 
to save me. I have no anxiety for the future. 
I leave it all with God.' Soon after, he said 
to his deeply affected wife, ' You remember, 
Kate, the motto, ' Ready for either.' I am ready 

FOR THE YOKE, OR FOR THE ALTAR.' 

" As evening drew on, his pain had nearly 
subsided, and he could speak, though with some 
difficulty. Mortification was evidently making 
rapid progress, yet while the outward man 
decayed the inward man was renewed. Fre- 
quently did he ask his wife to pray that his 
mind might be collected and kept from wan- 
dering. After hearing the hymn, 

1 Rock of ages, cleft for me/ 

repeated, he broke out into a kind of soliloquy : 
1 Yes, yes ; I simply cling to the cross. I have 
no other refuge.' Towards midnight this hymn 
was sung, after which we engaged in prayer. 
During the prayer he seemed full of emotion, 
frequently responding aloud, 'Amen, Amen.' 

Biddie. 13 



194 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

At the close the dying man broke forth in fer- 
vent prayer, in a much louder tone than he had 
been able to use during his sickness. ' Lord/ 
said he, ' I beseech thee, do answer that prayer. 
If it can be consistent, Lord, raise me up, 
and spare me to go and preach the gospel to the 
perishing heathen. I ask not for my own sake, 
but for the sake of the poor Karens. Yet 0, 
dear Saviour, I pray that I may have no will 
but thine* Do what thou wilt with me. 
precious Saviour, let me see the road clear, 
and help me, without wandering, to concen- 
trate my soul on thee and heaven. And 
Lord, I beseech thee, bless my dear connections ; 
and Oh, bless this my dear companion," putting 
his arm around her neck as she knelt by his 
side. " If she must undergo this bereavement, 
grant that she may be sustained by all the 
rich consolations of the blessed gospel. 
Lord, pour out a missionary spirit upon all the 
rising ministry throughout the land. Lord, 
bless that dear institution I have left, and grant 
that if I should be taken away, it may lead 
many of the dear young men to consecrate 
themselves to the missionary work. And 0, 
Jesus, may I feel thee precious ; may I feel 



THE DEPARTURE. 195 

thee near. And do bless my dear compan- 
ion, and all my dear connections. Amen and 
Amen.' 

" Soon after, he said to his wife, ' I wish 
brother Dowling would come up and pray with 
me again/ When I had complied, he seemed 
to sink into a lethargic state, which so often 
precedes dissolution, and we doubted whether 
his eyes or his lips would again unclose on 
earth. 

" ' We watched his breathing through the night, 
His breathing soft and low, 
As in his breast the wave of life 
Kept heaving to and fro. 

So silently we seemed to speak, 

So slowly moved about, 
As we had lent him half our powers 

To eke his being out. 

Our very hopes belied our fears, 

Our fears our hopes belied ; 
We thought him dying when he slept, 

And sleeping when he died.' 

" The two or three hours that he yet contin- 
ued to breathe were varied by alternate fever- 
ish wanderings and lucid intervals. At one 
time he woke up, and seemed to be in a strug- 



19G WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

gle with the adversary. He requested his wife 
to repeat some passages of Scripture. After 
listening to some which he did not seem to 
think exactly met his case, he himself exclaimed, 
1 Ah, now I have it/ and repeated the passage, 
1 When the enemy comes in like a flood, the 
Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard 
against him/ ' Ah/ said he, • that is it/ and 
repeated it a number of times. ' There/ said 
he, soon after, ' I see the way clear. Now I 
can sleep sweetly / and then he tried to draw 
the bedclothes over him, and was soon in a 
doze. In this last sleep on this side Jordan, 
we heard him whisper, ' Happy, happy ! Bright, 
all bright! 7 The question was asked by a 
dear Christian friend, the superintendent of 
the Berean Sabbath-school, ' Brother Biddle, 
can you put all your trust in the Lord Jesus 
Christ V He faintly whispered, ' Yes.' Soon 
the last spasm came, two or three feeble gasps, 
and at precisely half-past three on "Wednesday 
morning he ceased to breathe. He had fallen 
asleep in Jesus." 

On the afternoon of the same day, at five 
o'clock, the remains were taken to the Berean 
church and placed before the pulpit; on the 



THE DEPARTURE. 197 

very spot where, but a month before, he had 
been solemnly ordained to the gospel ministry, 
and united in marriage to his youthful com- 
panion. After singing and prayer, and the 
reading of a portion of Scripture, Dr. Dowling 
improved the occasion by interesting remarks 
embodying a sketch of the life and labors of 
the deceased, and the closing scenes of his 
earthly career, as given in the pages immedi- 
ately preceding ; and was followed by Dr. 
William R. Williams, who clearly and forcibly 
directed attention to some of the important 
lessons to be learned from this dispensation of 
God's providence. 

There had been no little discussion, said Dr. 
Williams, as to the amount of education and 
attainment necessary for the missionary work. 
Here we found a polished shaft, a brother of 
the highest order of talent and education, en- 
dowed with every conceivable qualification for 
the work, prostrated before them, and forbid- 
den to enter into it. By this, it appeared to 
him that God would have us understand that 
while he condescended to use such instruments, 
he did not need them. 

Another lesson taught by this dispensation 



198 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

was humility and resignation to ttio will of 
God. It was his prerogative to rule, our duty 
to obey. His providence is inscrutable to us. 
Human wisdom would have supposed that the 
labors and presence of the youthful Stephen 
were absolutely necessary to the infant church 
of Christ, but God weaned the repose of the 
saints from their most valued coadjutors to 
attach it more closely to himself. The instance 
also of the sainted Thomas, to which allusion 
had been made, was another illustration. He 
died with the sickle in his hand in sight of the 
harvest field ; so our beloved brother put on 
the armor, God having tried him as he tried 
Abraham, discharged him from the war before 
he had entered into it. Prom this touching 
event we may also learn the preciousness of a 
Saviour, a rock of ages on which to rest in the 
hour of death. 

Dr. Williams concluded by enforcing upon 
the attention of all the great truth, that such a 
Saviour was just as necessary for those most 
distinguished for eminence, for learning, and 
for genius, as for the most humble, the most 
ignorant, the most debased. 

On the next day the remains were removed 



( THE DEPARTURE. 199 

to Brookfield, Conn., where his father resided, 
and, after a sermon by Rev. Aaron Perkins of 
Danbury, were committed to the earth to await 
a joyful resurrection when the archangel's trump 
shall sound. 

A plain stone, with the following inscription, 
marks his resting-place. 

3n ftlemorg 

OF 

WILLIAM THOMAS BIDDLB: 

BORN IN ENGLAND, JUNE 8, 1824 ; 

ORDAINED IN NEW YORK, AUGUST 13, 1851; 

MARRIED AUGUST 14; 

DESIGNATED AS A MISSIONARY TO THE PWO KARENS, 

AT HAMILTON, NEW YORK, AUG. 21; 

DIED IN NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 17, 1851. 

" PRECIOUS IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD IS THE DEATH OF 



HIS SAINTS." 

" Gone to the grave in all his glorious prime, 
In the full vigor of his zeal and power ; 
The Christian cannot die before his time — 
The Lord's appointment is the servant's hour. 

" Gone to the grave? no ; seated high above, 
Thy blessed spirit present with the Lord, 
Where faith and hope are changed to perfect love 
And open vision for the written word." 



200 WILLIAM T. BIDDLB. 

Though not inscribed upon the marble, yet 
in the memories of all who were privileged 
with the acquaintance of the departed, his epi- 
taph is, as about six years before his death, in 
a few lines on " Seeking Pleasure," he desired 
it should be : 

" My work completed here, let me die ; 
In silence, 'neath the sward, my ashes lie : 
My monument, ' Souls turned from sin to God;' 
My epitaph, i He in Christ's footsteps trod'" 

Swiftly over the wiry road, with lightning 
speed, the painfully solemn tidings came to 
Hamilton that William Thomas Biddle was no 
more on earth. The hearts of loving friends 
there were smitten and nigh unto breaking. 
In giving vent to his own feelings in view of 
the sad event, in a letter to Dr. Dowling, Dr. 
Eaton, senior theological professor in the uni- 
versity, well expressed the feelings of many 
others to whom the deceased was dear as a 
brother in Christ : 

" Madison University, Sept. 22, 1851. 

" Dear Brother Dowling — Then it is even 
so. Your note confirming the telegraphic in- 
telligence came while my mind was contriving 
how it might be erroneous, and refusing to 



THE DEPARTURE. 201 

admit the reality. 0, my brother, I was not 
at all prepared for this. It had never entered 
my mind that Biddle could die. There is a 
shadow upon my spirit, and my heart is very 
heavy. What meaneth this ? I cannot under- 
stand it ; and yet I will be dumb and question 
not, because thou, God, didst it. 

"I read your letter, and one from brother 
Armitage, to the congregation in the Baptist 
church yesterday morning, and made such re- 
marks as my feelings would permit ; and they 
bowed down and wept very sore. Truly it 
was a Bochim, for brother Biddle was very, 
very much beloved. . . . 

" I have no doubt God designs to accomplish 
more for the cause of missions in the death of 
this precious brother just at this time, than 
would have been effected by his life, though 
continued for many years. I am inexpressibly 
anxious that this event should be so improved 
as to be in the highest degree subservient to 
the spiritual benefit of the students, and to the 
increase of the missionary spirit among them. 
" Affectionately yours, in deep sorrow, 

" GEO. W. EATON." 



202 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

The afflictive event was duly improved by 
public services in the Baptist meeting-house, 
and a sermon by Dr. Dowling from the words, 
" Then went this saying abroad among the 
brethren, that that disciple should not die. 77 
John 21 : 23. 

The Hamilton Literary and Benevolent As- 
sociation testified their regard for his worth by 
the adoption of the following : 

" Whereas it has pleased our heavenly Fa- 
ther, in the wise dispensation of his providence, 
to remove by death our highly esteemed and 
dearly beloved brother William T. Biddle, with 
whom, as a member of this society, it has been 
our privilege some years to associate ; therefore, 

" Resolved, That the rare constellation of ex- 
cellencies that met and blended in the life and 
character of our departed brother, his consist- 
ent piety, his meek and amiable spirit, his fidel- 
ity and perseverance in the discharge of every 
duty, his fine natural endowments, and his va- 
ried scholarship, conspired to make him one of 
the brightest ornaments of our Society. Each 
department found in him one of its most able 
and successful promoters. We shall long cher- 
ish with grateful remembrance his interest in 



THE DEPASTURE. 203 

the Grand Ligne mission, and his untiring ef- 
forts in the cause of benevolence. Nor shall we 
soon forget the many and varied contributions 
from his pen, that often fell upon our ear with 
thrilling power, and breathed into us as it were 
a ' newer life. 7 

"Resolved, That in this mysterious dispen- 
sation of divine Providence, we recognize a 
call to renewed fidelity and devotedness to the 
service of Christ : that we cherish the parting 
words of our brother, ' which he spake unto us 
while he was yet with us, 7 and that we en- 
deavor to keep alive the spirit of missions 
among us by prayer and frequent contribu- 
tions, laid upon the altar on which he devoted 
himself a living sacrifice. And we devoutly 
pray that the allwise Disposer of events will 
make this mournful dispensation the means of 
great spiritual blessings to this Society. And 
while we weep for the poor Karen, who will 
watch in vain towards the setting sun for his 
coming, may we seriously inquire what is our 
own duty to the benighted, the erring, and the 
lost. 

"Resolved, That while we mourn that his sun 
went down while it was yet noon, we would 



204 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

be grateful to our heavenly Father that we had 
with us so long the clear, brilliant light of so 
holy an example of Christian fidelity, and that 
our brother, though departed, still lives among 
ns, and is destined long to live, by the happy 
influence of a devoted unblamable life. His 
name will awaken a long train of hallowed 
associations, bringing back scenes of pleasure 
and social enjoyments, of trial, of labor, of self- 
denial, of prayers, of tears and sacrifices, and 
then our faith would pierce the veil and behold 
him a redeemed spirit among the glorified." 

In a letter of condolence to Mrs. Biddle, 
dated Boston, Sept. 24th, 1851, Dr. Bright, 
Home Secretary of the Missionary Union, says, 
" We thought of him as one who would become 
a pillar in our missionary superstructure on 
earth ; but God has assigned him a nobler and 
more enduring position in the house not made 
with hands." 

" Blessed are the dead which die in the 
Lord from henceforth : Yea, saith the Spirit, 
that they may rest from their labors ; and 
their works do follow them." Rev. 14 : 13. 



THE CONCLUSION. 205 



CONCLUSION. 



The object of the preceding pages is, that 
being dead, the devoted Biddle may still speak 
for the cause of missions — the cause of Christ. 
By his death, sudden and triumphant as it was, 
a new interest in the missionary enterprise was 
awakened in the churches ; and of students for 
the ministry, several who had been undecided 
determined to go and tell the story of the cross 
to the perishing. 

Is it too much to hope that by this humble 
record other laborers in the Lord's vineyard 
will be led to look beyond the ocean, and de- 
sirous to glorify God in toils for the salvation 
of the ignorant and degraded heathen, devote 
themselves also to the glorious work. 

" What an element of moral power the mis- 
sionary spirit is ; how it elevates, purifies, and 
blesses — filling the soul with charity, the life 
with action, and the church with joy ; and how 
eminently is fulfilled, through its instrumental- 
ity, the declaration of Solomon, { There is that 
scattereth, yet increaseth ;' and of Him who 



206 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

was greater than Solomon, ' It is more blessed 
to give than to receive/ "* 

" The spirit of missions is the spirit of con- 
cord. The key-note was struck on the plain of 
Bethlehem ; and all who have sympathy with 
the angelic announcement, are sure to think, 
feel, utter, and act in concert, both with the 
heavenly host, and with one another. "t 

Youth of the Sabbath-school — Have you like 
Mr. Biddle remembered your Creator in your 
youth, and consecrated the vigor of your early 
years to the service of the Eedeemer ? If not, 
may the Holy Spirit bless the perusal of this 
record of youthful piety to awaken in your 
mind an earnest consideration of the claims of 
the blessed Jesus. The bleeding Saviour upon 
the cross says to you, " I have done this for 
thee ; what hast thou done for me V- 

If your heart has been given to God, then 
ask yourself, What can I do for Christ ? What 
to spread abroad the glad tidings of his salva- 
tion? 

You can do much. Like Mr. Biddle, you 
may consecrate yourself to the work of the 

* Cox's Hist, of Bap. Missions, 
f Baron Stow, D. D. 



CONCLUSION. 207 

ministry with direct reference to the foreign 
field. Like him, you may pray for the success 
of those already in the field. Like him, you 
may actively engage in interesting others in 
the great work ; securing their sympathies for 
the perishing, and their benefactions for the sup- 
port of missions. It is a ground of rejoicing, 
and betokens hope for the future, that so much 
is now being done for this cause by the youth 
of our Sabbath-schools. That little bark the 
" Morning Star," built and equipped at an ex- 
pense of thirteen thousand dollars,* by the dime 
contributions of Sabbath-school scholars, plough- 
ing its way over the ocean, and wandering 
among the isles of the sea, is a noble monument 
of the Christian, enterprise and active zeal of 
Sabbath-school children and youth, and an 
argument for endeavors to do more for the 
spiritual good of dying heathen and the glory 
of the Saviour in their salvation. 

Alumni of Madison and Rochester Universi- 
ties — To many of you the brother whose mis- 

* A fund of over fifteen thousand dollars for defray- 
ing the expenses of the vessel, has also been provided 
from the same source ; the total contribution being 
$28,600. 



208 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

sionary life we have sketched was personally 
known. You were witnesses of his zeal and 
devotion to the cause of his Master ; you know 
how fervently he prayed that the Lord of the 
harvest would send forth laborers, and you 
know also that having thus prayed, he cheer- 
fully said, " Lord, here am I ; send me." And 
now, while you weep over his apparently un- 
timely end, does the question arise in your 
mind, " Is it not my duty to go to the heathen 
and tell of the blessed Saviour's love, and point 
them to the Lamb of God which taketh away 
sin ? 77 T is the voice of your ascended Lord, 
" Go, teach all nations. 77 Heed it. For your 
own sake, heed it ; for the sake of the poor 
heathen who are waiting to hear the gospel, 
that they may live for ever, heed it. 

In the Twenty-fifth Annual Report of the 
Board of officers of the Society for Inquiry, of 
Madison University, of which Mr. Biddle was 
secretary, we have the following closing appeal 
from his pen — an appeal which we would affec- 
tionately commend to the attention and prayer- 
ful consideration of all students for the gospel 
ministry. After alluding to the numbers from 



CONCLUSION. 209 

their Society who had entered the foreign field, 
he says, 

"Brethren, does not the position we have 
hitherto occupied impose upon us a great re- 
sponsibility ? Have we not by the past given 
pledges for the future — pledges which are not 
forgotten by our brethren in the East — pledges 
which have encouraged them to labor on under 
the most oppressive burdens, in hope of relief 
erelong ? Do not the tombs of our departed 
brethren stand as monuments to remind us of 
these pledges ? 

" But our responsibility does not arise mainly 
from what we have been ; no, 7 t is from what 
we now are. We are most of us candidates for 
the gospel ministry, and while that class has for 
some time been decreasing in number, the de- 
mand for men has been growing more and more 
urgent. In 1812, missionaries from America 
scarcely knew where to turn to a single field 
in which they would be permitted to labor. 
Indeed, it is but a few years since, that access 
was denied to near four hundred millions of 
the human family ; now, we can scarcely point 
to a country where the gospel may not be 
preached. While we hope and pray that God 

BiddJe. 14 



210 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

would call the attention of the churches to the 
inadequacy of the efforts now made, it certainly 
becomes us to be more vigorous, to labor more 
earnestly in preparation, that we may toil the 
more successfully. Let the stern determination 
seize our hearts which nerves a veteran army, 
resolved that diminished numbers shall be no 
cause for defeat. And at the same time, let us 
repose confidence in God, who has said, c I will 
never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 7 Discour- 
aging appearances should not shake our faith, 
present diminution in numbers should not lead 
us to think that the cause is waning ; it is dear 
to God as ever. ' As I live, saith the Lord, 
the earth shall be filled with my glory.' " 

Brethren and sisters in Christ, disciples of 
the blessed Jesus, by whose blood you have 
been washed from sin, and by whose death a 
title to heaven and eternal life is given to you, 
it jnay not be yours to go to the heathen and 
carry the good news of salvation, but it is your 
privilege and your duty to send the word of 
life and the living preacher, that the same gos- 
pel from which you learned the way to heaven, 
may guide them also into the paths of right- 



CONCLUSION. 211 

eousness, and turn them from idols to the ser- 
vice of the true God. 

Would you know a missionary's estimate of 
the value of the Scriptures in the vernacular 
of a heathen nation? Said Mr. Thomas, as 
he longed for the completion of the transla- 
tion of the Bible, upon which his colaborer 
Mr. Carey was engaged, " I would give a mill- 
ion pounds sterling, if I had it, to see a Ben- 
galee Bible. most merciful God, what an 
inestimable blessing will it be to these millions ! 
The angels of heaven will look down upon it 
to fill their mouths with new praises and ado- 
ration. Methinks all heaven and hell will be 
moved at a Bible's entering such a country as 
this. Lord, send forth thy light and thy 
truth.' 7 

And with respect to the living teacher, How 
shall the heathen hear without a preacher? 
And how shall they preach, except they .be 
sent ? If you cannot go yourself, can you not 
send one who can go ? If unable, can you not 
hdp to send one ? 

" On the part of the missionaries," as we are 
told in the history of the earlier Baptist mis- 
sions in India, " it was continually and very 



212 WILLIAM T. BIDDLE. 

judiciously urged upon their native converts, 
that God had converted them, not only for the 
purpose of fitting them for heaven, but for the 
sake of their heathen and Mohammedan neigh- 
bors ; and consequently, if they were person- 
ally unable to itinerate for the spread of the 
gospel, they were bound to aid in the main- 
tenance of those who were so capacitated and 
disposed." And is not the same principle ap- 
plicable to converts in Christian lands ? Freely 
ye have received, freely give. 

But stop not here. Bring your offerings ; 
but with the gift let your prayers for the cause 
of missions ascend unceasingly to the throne 
of God, that he would bless the societies at 
home — their members, their directors, their 
committees ; that he would richly endow with 
grace and faith the missionaries abroad, as in 
the name of our Lord they raise the standard 
of- the cross, and in the sight of the heathen 
unfurl the gospel banner, upon which is in- 
scribed, God so loved the world, that he 

GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOSOEVER 
BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE 
EVERLASTING LIFE. 



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